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There are lots of names that we give to groups of animals:
Lions: A Pride π¦
Whales: A Pod π
Beavers: A Colony π¦«
Monkeys: A Troop π
Rhinoceroses: A Crash π¦
In the world of arboriculture (ok, that's just a fancy word for trees) we call a group either a Grove or Forest π²π²π²π²
Take for instance a grove of trees...
Most young tree saplings spend their early decades of life under the shade of their mother tree's canopy.
Limited sunlight means that they grow slowly.
Slow growth, of course, leads to hard, dense, and strong wood.
Something entirely different happens if you plant a tree by itself out in an open field.
Free from the shade of bigger trees, the sapling gorges itself on sunlight and grows really fast.
Fast growth leads to soft, airy wood that doesn't have time to become dense.
Soft, airy wood is a breeding ground for fungus, disease, and a much shorter life overall.
A tree that grows fast, rots quickly and therefore never has a chance to grow old.
Another invaluable effect of the grove for a young sapling is the root system.
An old, dense, and sturdy tree has years of roots that run deep into the ground.
A slow-growing tree in a grove has the benefit of intertwined roots that will benefit it for decades as it grows taller.
An isolated tree, planted by itself, not only grows too quickly but lacks any of the supporting underground structures.
So what can we learn from the world of arboriculture that can affect your parenting for the next decade? I suggest to you ...
Do you consider your home to be a "raise them slowly" kind of family? In what ways have you provided shade or kept your kids from growing up too quickly? I'd love to hear if you'd reply back and let me know!
FYI: Mom and Dad, you can always read old newsletters right here!
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With the calendar rolling over to June, most of your kids are wrapping up their school year.
If you are a family that likes to take a look back and process the year together, here are 5 questions you can ask your kids over ice cream in the next 7 days.
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Helping propel moms & dads of 3 to 13 year-olds to invest in their power-decade of parenting. Father of 3 teenagers and pastor of 20 years turned digital writer.
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