Day 301
Being a family of five, my wife and I have seen the impact daycare has had on our bank account. Even though we are able to avoid lots of time utilizing daycare services, it is still a huge financial factor in our decision-making. Even with her third shift schedule and me having much flexibility in the summer, we still see how pricey it can be and are always looking for a way to keep the kids engaged and active. Our go to as always has been nature. We’ve established a long list of local (and some not so local) nature spots the kids have gotten accustomed to exploring. While we each have our favorites, any time in nature is valuable. Since we bought the farm, our trips to these spots have unfortunately declined. At the same time, we’ve added our own big backyard as a new place to explore and investigate everything Mother Nature has to offer. Access to a big and diverse backyard with our additions of a chicken yard, trail, and nature play area got us thinking. We know our kids love exploring in our own backyard. Could our yard be a spot where kids can come explore, play, and experience the world around them? Could our backyard serve in a similar role as a daycare center? Could parents drop off kids for short spurts to engage in a number of outdoor activities? I;ve mulled this over and think Craneview on Plainview can offer an alternative.
Naturesitting.
Think of babysitting in nature. Unlike my Operation Explore course, which is semi-structured around a variety of topics, a naturesitting experience would be completely dependent on the interests of the attendees and the conditions outside. Each day has the potential of being completely unique. While some might find this extremely stressful, I find it exciting and invigorating. Since I already do plenty of volunteer work and professional practice exploring with kids in nature, often times spontaneously, it makes sense to see how we can create a business opportunity that can help support and sustain our continuing restoration project.
While this is still a thought-in-progress, it’s exciting to add new twists and turns to the farm.
