Once you have established that pursuing services on a farm is a good fit for your child and your family (click here if you’re uncertain), it’s time to make sure that what you want your child to learn can be taught in this setting. Here are the three C’s that I focus on in every program.
#1 – Calm
Calm can mean a lot of things: you may think of calm and think of a smooth surfaced pond or a gentle breeze. Calm can also be knowing what to do in a crisis without panicking or stepping onto the field or court during competition with your head in the game. Calm is the focus that can lead to flow.
At the farm, we practice calm in many forms. We practice moving slowly around the more shy animals. When we are balancing on logs or jumping over rocks, we practice moving with precision. There are times when an animal behaves in a way that is surprising or unexpected, or we find an injured or ill animal and we have the opportunity to calmly rise to the occasion. We also practice calm when the cat doesn’t want to be pet, the favorite chicken runs away, or our plans otherwise don’t go to plan.
#2 – Confidence
Can you imagine your child calmly holding up their hands and stating “I need space please” to a flock of loud, honking, eye level geese AND having the geese respond in kind?
How about seeing them set their mind to doing something hard like carrying a bucket of water or feeding an overly-helpful barn cat, and watching as they persist through hiccups and tribulations without quitting? (Pssst…that’s called “grit” and you can read more about it here).
The opportunity to set, maintain, and respect boundaries comes up again and again on the farm and allows for kids to learn how to maintain calm confidence throughout the most trying and challenging situations. After all, if you can calmly and confidently communicate a respectful boundary with a loud and pushy goose, you can quickly learn to do the same with a human.
#3 – Communciation
When it’s time to do hard things on the farm, communication is key. There are opportunities to ask questions like is this an electric fence (often the answer is yes), is it on (also, usually yes), and can I touch it (If you touch it, it will hurt for at least a few minutes and maybe for the rest of the day).
I answer as honestly about even the hardest subjects, including questions about life, death, and reproduction and I ask difficult questions that sometimes leave us both thinking in silence for a few minutes. When a question of permission comes up, I answer with the consequences of the action rather than a yes or no (whenever possible) and allow kids to decide for themselves if they are going to engage.
The group sessions allow for kids to practice teamwork and sharing in tasks that challenge them both physically and mentally.
In conclusion, there is so much to learn!
I am elated to offer these services and would love to talk to you about if this is the right fit and what your child can learn in a farm setting. Click below to schedule a Free 30 minute Discovery Call with me!
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