PA
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) says that giving children gardening lessons will help them become more responsible and calmer.
A survey by the RHS found that eight in 10 parents garden with their kids, and over 50 per cent of mums and dads polled said it made their youngsters more responsible, whilst 20 per cent said it calmed them down and improved their behaviour.
The study also found that 60 per cent of mums and dads said gardening made their children more aware of the origins of their food, and what they were eating. It was also an activity that involved wider members of the family, with 20 per cent of parents saying their kids gardened with their grandparents.
However, the RHS's poll raised concerns that modern parents had less horticultural education than their children, with around half of the mums and dads saying their kids knew more or the same amount about gardening as they did!
Sue Biggs, director-general of the RHS, commented on the research, saying: "When children learn to garden, it is a skill that stays with them for life.
"This is evident from the grandparents we surveyed, among whom nearly 80 per cent say they like to garden, and more than a third grow their own fruit and vegetables.
"But with 65 per cent of parents admitting that their own parents know more about gardening than they do, and nearly half believing their own children, aged four to 11, have equal or better horticultural knowledge than themselves, it would seem today's parents are shy of volunteering their time, probably due to a lack of knowledge."
What do you think? Do you garden with your children? Do you think it is important?Or is it something you just do not have the time to do?