“It would honestly be easier if I just did it myself.”
If you’re a parent, I guarantee you’ve thought that at least once today.
Maybe while unloading the dishwasher for the third time because somehow every clean spoon ended up in the sink. Maybe while picking up dirty socks that apparently couldn’t make it the extra six inches into the laundry basket. Or maybe while watching your kid spend fifteen minutes looking for something that was literally right in front of their face.
Trust me… I’ve been there.
And honestly?
Sometimes it is easier to just do it yourself.
But then one day you wake up and realize you’ve accidentally trained your kids that Mom will always do everything.
That wasn’t the kind of adults I wanted to raise.
Because somewhere along the way, I realized something…
We weren’t trying to raise perfect kids.
We were trying to raise capable ones.
That didn’t mean our house was always clean.
It didn’t mean every chore was done perfectly.
It definitely didn’t mean there wasn’t a whole lot of whining, negotiating, forgotten boots, and the occasional goat escaping while everyone was supposed to be “helping.”
It meant giving our boys opportunities to learn, contribute, fail, try again, and slowly grow into the kind of adults who see a job that needs done… and simply do it.
For our family, the homestead became one of the greatest classrooms we could have ever asked for.
Not because we planned some elaborate life lessons.
But because the animals still needed fed.
The garden still needed watered.
The fence still needed fixed.
The Cows did not care who was sick or tired.
Dinner still had to be cooked.
Life kept happening… and our kids learned to be part of it.
Not because we’re some picture-perfect farm family.
Mostly because I have a habit of diving headfirst into slightly crazy ideas and dragging my incredibly supportive (or enabling… depending on who you ask…) husband along for the ride.
And somehow…
It worked.
Well…
Mostly.
Because the truth is, I probably learned more about parenting (or how not to parent some days) than my boys ever learned from being parented.
If my years of trial and error can save another parent a little frustration—or give you the confidence to let your kids help even when it’s slower, messier, and definitely louder—then every one of those mistakes was worth it.
Our Journey Didn’t Start With a Perfect Farm
I grew up on a farm, was homeschooled, spent years in 4-H, and learned more life skills than I ever realized at the time.
Now… my mom deserves most of the credit.
She was the expert.
I was just lucky enough to grow up living it.
When I became a mom myself, I knew I wanted my kids to experience that same kind of childhood.
Now…
I did try homeschooling.
Let’s just say my mother is a saint.
I am… not.
So instead, we intentionally moved to a small rural community with an amazing school district where our boys could get a great education while still growing up with dirt under their fingernails and animals outside their back door. I even ended up working for the school district, which gave me the best of both worlds. I got to stay involved in their education without actually having to teach algebra.
Win-win.
When we bought an old farmhouse built in 1955 that hadn’t been updated since… well… probably 1955. Once upon a time, it was beautiful, well maintained and great for any homestead. But when we got to it. it had spent years unloved, unmanaged and overdue for a serious makeover. We made the deal that my husband and the boys could use half of the pasture for a dirtbike track, as long as I got to keep the other half for animals.
But it was going to be a long-time labor of love because there was no aspect of this house that didn’t need work.
It needed everything.
Every.
Single.
Thing.
Meanwhile, we had a twelve-year-old, a seven-year-old, and apparently enough confidence to think, “Sure… let’s build a farm at the same time.”
Looking back…
That was either incredibly brave or incredibly dumb.
Probably both. But one thing I am sure of! is that it was all worth it!
Then Came the Baby Goats…
When we first move to the farm we brough our very suburban bunnies with us. Because living in the city obviously couldn’t help myself… So, we had critters there to. Like many homesteads, our next phase was obviously chickens!
The property already had what could generously be described as a chicken coop.
Realistically?
It was more of an old shed that looked like it had lost a fight with Mother Nature.
But it was something.
So naturally…
We bought baby chicks.
They lived in an old horse tank in the one spare bedroom we weren’t tearing apart yet.
Totally normal. Right?
Then we got bottle baby goats.
Oh Lord…. The baby goats.
Our sweet Bonny and Clyde.
Those two little diaper wearing terrorists! wore baby onesies to keep the diapers on, and at night they slept in the master bathroom tub, because it shockingly didn’t work… Until they eventually moved to a bigger space. Once they were big enough to live outside, they got a custom baby goat house! That the boys helped build!
Imagine combining the energy of a toddler, the climbing ability of Spider-Man, the appetite of a teenage boy, and tiny little razor-sharp teeth.
Now multiply it by two.
Then add them to the middle of a full house renovation.
Ceilings ripped out.
Floors torn up.
Tools everywhere.
And baby goats somehow standing on top of the kitchen table.
There are moments in life when you really have to question your own decision-making skills.
That was one of them.
But Would I do it again?
Without hesitation.
Maybe with fewer diapers.
Over the years we’ve raised goats, chickens, ducks, pigs, horses, turkeys, dogs, and now dairy cows.
We’ve milked cows before work.
Bottle-fed babies before school.
Stayed up all night waiting on calves.
Built fences.
Rebuilt fences after animals reminded us they weren’t good enough.
We’ve celebrated births.
We’ve cried through losses.
We’ve learned that no matter how carefully you plan, farm animals usually have their own opinions.
Today our little farm is something we never imagined all those years ago. It’s a whole lifestyle! and even a business! We own and run Prairie and Pine Acres LLC.
Our dairy cows have become the heart of everything we do, and our first farm-born calf, Annabelle or Baby AB, as we all call her, is just a little bit spoiled. Okay… A lot spoiled.
What Homesteading Really Taught Our Kids
🌿 FREE RESOURCE
Age-Appropriate Homestead Chore Guide
One of the questions I get asked the most is,
“What chores can my kids actually do at each age?”
I put together our family’s printable guide with household chores, farm & homestead responsibilities, and age-appropriate ideas from toddlers to teenagers.
People sometimes assume kids help on a farm because parents need free labor.
I promise you…
If you’ve ever tried teaching a seven-year-old how to collect eggs without dropping half of them or trying to patiently teach someone how to do what you know is a VERY simple task but it took 45 tries to aster it with those little hands. Trust me, the word free labor is not what comes to mind.
It absolutely would have been faster to do it myself.
Every single time.
But that’s not the point.
The point is that every chore became an opportunity.
Every responsibility became confidence.
Every mistake became a lesson.
And eventually…
Those little kids who needed constant help became teenagers who simply saw something that needed done… and did it.
Now, that doesn’t happen overnight. So let’s get that expectation out of the way now.
It happens because they spent years learning that they matter.
That they contribute.
That the family depends on them. The animals depend on them. We are a team.
What Can Kids Actually Do?
One of the questions I get asked the most is,
“Okay…but what chores are actually appropriate for a five-year-old? Or a ten-year-old?”
The answer changes a lot as kids grow.
Instead of stuffing this article with giant checklists, I created a complete guide that breaks down age-appropriate homestead chores from toddlers all the way through teenagers,
👉 Read: Age-Appropriate Homestead Chores for Kids
Animals Teach Lessons You Can’t Fake
One of the biggest differences between suburban life and farm life is this:
If you forget to fill the bird feeder…
The birds fly somewhere else.
If you forget to feed your chickens…
Nobody else is coming they starve and die.
Those animals depend entirely on you.
That responsibility changes kids.
They learn consistency.
Compassion.
Commitment.
They learn that living things rely on them showing up every single day, they learn a work ethic, they learn to show up even when they’re tired, cranky, sick, or would rather stay inside playing video games.
Those are lessons that stick.
It’s Never Really About the Chores
Yes, our boys learned how to feed and love animals. But they have also learned how to.
Collect eggs.
Stack hay.
Use tools safely.
Build fences.
Garden.
Fix broken waterers.
Drive equipment.
and so much more!
But that’s not really what they were learning.
They were learning how to solve problems.
How to finish what they started.
How to work alongside other people.
How to keep showing up even when you do not want to!
How to see something that needed done, and without waiting for someone to ask, they just do it.
Whether they become farmers, engineers, teachers, mechanics, or CEOs one day honestly doesn’t matter.
Those skills will serve them anywhere.
Start Smaller Than You Think
If you’re reading this thinking,
“Well… we don’t have a farm.”
Good.
You don’t need one.
Start with a garden.
A few chickens.
A compost pile.
A clothesline.
A tomato plant.
Bake bread together.
Plant flowers for the bees.
Learn to make yogurt.
Teach your kids how food gets to the table.
Homesteading has never been about owning acres.
It’s about creating opportunities to work together, learn together, and build a life with intention.
The Childhood They’ll Remember
I honestly don’t think my boys will remember a single worksheet they completed in school.
But they’ll remember bottle-feeding baby goats wearing diapers.
They’ll remember gathering eggs before breakfast.
They’ll remember helping build chicken coops and fences.
They’ll remember sitting around a fire pit they helped build, eating s’mores after a long day of work.
They’ll remember waiting on calves to be born.
They’ll remember muddy boots lined up by the back door.
Most of all…
I hope they’ll remember that our home wasn’t perfect.
Our farm certainly wasn’t perfect.
But we built it together.
And if there’s one thing homesteading has taught me over the years, it’s this:
It’s never really been about raising animals.
It’s about raising capable, kind, hardworking people.
And if we happen to end up with a few hilarious goat stories along the way…
And I’d call that a pretty good life.
I hope this post comes as an encouragement to someone. Because at the end of the day, life on a homestead, whether it’s a few chickens in the backyard or a full-blown farm. It is hard. Motherhood is hard. Trying to build a meaningful life for your family is hard.
If no one has told you lately… I see you.
I think you’re doing something amazing.
and I really hope you don’t ever give up.
And remember It really does take a village.
So welcome to mine. Welcome to the beautifully imperfect world of The Ferally Domestic Housewife, where there’s always room for one more at the table, a little hay in our hair, and absolutely no expectation that you’ll have it all figured out.
Don’t Forget your Free Resource
🌿 FREE RESOURCE
Age-Appropriate Homestead Chore Guide
One of the questions I get asked the most is,
“What chores can my kids actually do at each age?”
I put together our family’s printable guide with household chores, farm & homestead responsibilities, and age-appropriate ideas from toddlers to teenagers.
More From the Homestead
🌿 21 Beginner Homestead Skills
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