H ealth B enefits of F amily G ardening Give Your Kid the Gi ft of a Green Thumb
Yes, there will always be football season, basketball season, and soccer season, but right now, it’s gardening season. That means it’s time to roll up your sleeves and play in the dirt. If you’ve been searching for a way to get the kids away from technology and engaged with the real world, gardening is the perfect activity for the whole family to enjoy. Not only is it fun, but it’s also beneficial for your kids’ development. For example, gardening can improve your children’s analytical abilities. As Dr. Wendy Matthews says, “Gardening exercises important reasoning, initiation, planning, and organization skills.” Furthermore, several studies, including one at Texas A&M University, suggest that gardening improves a child’s attitude toward fruits and vegetables and may make them more likely to choose them as snacks. Gardening helps kids identify with where their food is coming from, and nothing tastes better than a freshly picked strawberry or pea pod they grew themselves.
Rob Knight, emphasize the health benefits of garden time in their book, “Dirt Is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child’s Developing Immune System.” The two found that exposure to different microbes, like those found in a garden, strengthens a child’s immune system and makes them less likely to develop allergies. If this is your first time gardening, you don’t need much to get started. Grab a few shovels, a pair of gloves for each family member, and fresh potting soil, and you’ll be set. Then, you can decide together which plants you’d like to grow! Carrots are fun because of the surprise factor — just imagine your child discovering that the part they eat grows below the ground! Peas are tasty and fairly easy to grow, as are strawberries. The options really are endless. Depending on the growing season in your area, you can choose to buy seeds or opt for rooted plants.
Last but certainly not least, the best part of gardening as a family is the healthy, fresh produce you’ll get to enjoy all summer long!
Jack Gilbert, a scientist at the University of Chicago and a parent himself, and his co-author,
M argie S till Margie Still has always been interested in law, and though she took many unexpected turns along the way, her path ultimately led her to the legal field. After rekindling her interest, Margie became a paralegal and headed back to school to further her education. “I got a degree,” she says, “and was lucky enough to get into family law.” Family law truly sparked her passion. While in school, Margie enrolled in an internship for one of her classes and ended up working in a law firm that did some family law. Margie describes this area of law as “something I was gravitating toward all along.” She says, “I was lucky to find The Manely Firm, where we only do family law. I knew one of the guys who works here, David Purvis, and he encouraged me to submit my resume. I feel very lucky to have this opportunity to work here, and I love the people I work with and the work I do.” However, coming on board at the firm happened during a very stressful time in Margie’s life. “I was finishing up my divorce around then,” she remembers. Having gone
A Car ing Mother and Passionate Paralegal
through this experience, she finds herself in a unique position to relate to those going through the same worries and stressors. “I’m a single mom, and when I was going through that process, I was worried about what was going to happen next and how I was going to make ends meet. I think understanding where many parents are coming from in that area helps, and I’m glad to be there for them to show them that while their life is going to change, they can get through it.” Margie works diligently with our clients, but out of the office, she pursues her other passions with her daughter. The two of them spend a lot of time together, staying active and exploring Savannah. “We run in a lot of 5Ks and take tours through the forts, squares, and plantations. Last Christmas, I gifted her life experiences, where we travel once a month to someplace we’ve never been before. It’s been a lot of fun, and she’s always super excited about what we’re going to do next.”
Following her heart and her passions are what Margie does best no matter where her life takes her.
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