28 Aug Farm Life Lessons: How Nature Teaches Kids Resilience
In part 2, Lisa Buring explores how life on the farm has become an unexpected teacher, offering her boys lessons about empathy, grief, routine and resilience.
Luca with Aurora
Knowing Your Limits
Not all our farm adventures have been smooth. There was the time we tried adding pigs to our menagerie. Halfway home with two oinking piglets in the back, my eldest whispered, “I think we made a mistake, Mum.” He was right – we didn’t have the setup or space. Thankfully, the farmer took “Oinkers” and “Babe” back. It was a reminder that enthusiasm must be balanced with reality.
Facing Loss Together
Other lessons were tougher. One morning, a fox raided our duck pen. In minutes, our cheerful routine shifted to silence. My boys felt shock and sadness, and they asked tough questions. We talked about death, grief, and how our role was to protect the animals that remained.
The Rhythm of the Seasons
Living on the land has tuned us to nature’s rhythms. My boys notice when the light changes, when hens stop laying, or when rain makes everything soggy. They’ve learnt patience – some things, like eggs, arrive in their own time – and resilience when weather tests us.
Bigger Than Us
If we’d stayed in the city, their lives would be screens and schedules. Instead, they’re learning that hard work matters, that loss is part of love, and that the world is bigger than them. For me, the greatest comfort is knowing these lessons aren’t just coming from me, but from the land, the animals, and the quiet wisdom of nature.
Main Image: Bottle feeding one of our mini goats-Lyra
Find Lisa on Instagram @lisaburing_writer and listen to her podcast, Unscripted with Lisa Burling, available wherever you listen to podcasts.
Also, Instagram Coralvale Hatchery
