Uploaded April 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
We get a lot of questions about what it looks like to involve your kids in your homestead. As a mother of seven and multigenerational homesteader, RuthAnn does this really well. Join us as we discuss age-appropriate responsibilities for children, having realistic expectations for your season of parenting, the gift of boredom for our children, and more!
In this episode, we cover:
- Prioritizing tasks in a busy household
- How to implement chores in your family for the first time
- Involving children in chores according to their age and ability
- How motherhood changes over time as we grow and our children grow
- The vital role of mothers as the hub of the family
- Why it is important to bring our children along as we work through our daily tasks
- A case for letting kids be bored
- Heartfelt advice for the new homesteader on social media
- Accomplishing your homesteading goals even if you are not a planner
- The importance of sharing the homestead vision with your children
Thank you to our sponsor!
Premier 1 Supplies is your one-stop shop for all things homesteading! Visit premier1supplies.com to browse their catalog.
ABOUT RUTHANN
RuthAnn and her family live in northeast Iowa. She and her husband, Elvin, have seven children and one son-in-law. Five of the children still live at home. RuthAnn and her husband have been homesteading on their 21-acre homestead since 2001. They seek to preserve the self-sufficient lifestyle of their Mennonite heritage for the next generation by involving their children in every aspect of the homestead. From raising and harvesting the meat they consume, gardening and preserving to fill the family's larder, processing the dairy from the family milk cow plus the many other skills that develop the character and integrity of a family that desires to bring glory and honor to their Heavenly Father.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
RuthAnn’s Old Fashioned Approach to Childhood Chores eBook: ruthannzimm.com/products/old-fashioned-approach-to-childhood-chores-ebook?utm_medium=product-links&utm_content=ios&utm_source=copyToPasteboard
HOA episode with Joel Salatin: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/homesteaders-of-america/episodes/E13-Why-Homesteading--A-Candid-Chat-About-the-Homestead-Tsunami--Joel-Salatin-of-Polyface-Farms-e20ql6i
Homestead Tsunami by Joel Salatin: thelunaticfarmer.com/blog/2/7/2023/homestead-tsunami
CONNECT
RuthAnn Zimmerman
Website: ruthannzimm.com
Instagram: instagram.com/ruthannzimm
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCvoLCarfMRzuq-dLXeuohuw
Email List: view.flodesk.com/pages/635bc5463fc85ca2414fbd89
Homesteaders of America
Website: homesteadersofamerica.com
Instagram: instagram.com/homesteadersofamerica
Facebook: facebook.com/homesteadersofamerica
YouTube: youtube.com/homesteadersofamerica
Pinterest: pinterest.com/homesteadersusa
Join us at the Homesteaders of America Conference in October 2023: homesteadersofamerica.com/homesteaders-of-america-conference
GET MORE FROM THIS EPISODE
View full show notes and transcript on the blog: homesteadersofamerica.com/e14-homestead-parenting-ruthann-zimmerman
Listen to this podcast episode: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/homesteaders-of-america/episodes/E14-Homestead-Parenting--RuthAnn-Zimmerman-e21mtk0
We get a lot of questions about what it looks like to involve your kids in your homestead. As a mother of seven and multigenerational homesteader, RuthAnn does this really well. Join us as we discuss age-appropriate responsibilities for children, having realistic expectations for your season of parenting, the gift of boredom for our children, and more!
In this episode, we cover:
- Prioritizing tasks in a busy household
- How to implement chores in your family for the first time
- Involving children in chores according to their age and ability
- How motherhood changes over time as we grow and our children grow
- The vital role of mothers as the hub of the family
- Why it is important to bring our children along as we work through our daily tasks
- A case for letting kids be bored
- Heartfelt advice for the new homesteader on social media
- Accomplishing your homesteading goals even if you are not a planner
- The importance of sharing the homestead vision with your children
Thank you to our sponsor!
Premier 1 Supplies is your one-stop shop for all things homesteading! Visit premier1supplies.com to browse their catalog.
ABOUT RUTHANN
RuthAnn and her family live in northeast Iowa. She and her husband, Elvin, have seven children and one son-in-law. Five of the children still live at home. RuthAnn and her husband have been homesteading on their 21-acre homestead since 2001. They seek to preserve the self-sufficient lifestyle of their Mennonite heritage for the next generation by involving their children in every aspect of the homestead. From raising and harvesting the meat they consume, gardening and preserving to fill the family's larder, processing the dairy from the family milk cow plus the many other skills that develop the character and integrity of a family that desires to bring glory and honor to their Heavenly Father.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
RuthAnn’s Old Fashioned Approach to Childhood Chores eBook: ruthannzimm.com/products/old-fashioned-approach-to-childhood-chores-ebook?utm_medium=product-links&utm_content=ios&utm_source=copyToPasteboard
HOA episode with Joel Salatin: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/homesteaders-of-america/episodes/E13-Why-Homesteading--A-Candid-Chat-About-the-Homestead-Tsunami--Joel-Salatin-of-Polyface-Farms-e20ql6i
Homestead Tsunami by Joel Salatin: thelunaticfarmer.com/blog/2/7/2023/homestead-tsunami
CONNECT
RuthAnn Zimmerman
Website: ruthannzimm.com
Instagram: instagram.com/ruthannzimm
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCvoLCarfMRzuq-dLXeuohuw
Email List: view.flodesk.com/pages/635bc5463fc85ca2414fbd89
Homesteaders of America
Website: homesteadersofamerica.com
Instagram: instagram.com/homesteadersofamerica
Facebook: facebook.com/homesteadersofamerica
YouTube: youtube.com/homesteadersofamerica
Pinterest: pinterest.com/homesteadersusa
Join us at the Homesteaders of America Conference in October 2023: homesteadersofamerica.com/homesteaders-of-america-conference
GET MORE FROM THIS EPISODE
View full show notes and transcript on the blog: homesteadersofamerica.com/e14-homestead-parenting-ruthann-zimmerman
Listen to this podcast episode: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/homesteaders-of-america/episodes/E14-Homestead-Parenting--RuthAnn-Zimmerman-e21mtk0
