How self-sufficiency can make your family happy
When we had teenagers, I spent a lot of time designing our life so that we could be self-sufficient. We raised chickens, had an extensive garden, lived on five acres with our own water supply, and were completely debt free except for the land payment. It was great to be working towards a goal that I knew would have a positive impact on all of our lives…
My kids, on the other hand, saw things a little differently. They weren’t thrilled that we lived twenty+ miles out of town and they weren’t allowed to drive. They felt isolated. They thought it was weird that I had this big, long term goal when it was far more important to them to plan the next year or two than it was the next twenty.
I’m lucky. I have great, not-even-slightly materialistic kids. They’re adults now, and they’re smart, well-rounded, and not particularly interested in self-sufficiency. I hope they’ll come around some day, though, because I know how important it is.
I remember there was a moment when my relationship with them could have gone either way–when I risked them thinking I was completely obsessed with self-sufficiency to the determent of how much I cared for them.
And I realized that it was going to be important for me to *include* them in my projects. To let them help me build the chicken coops, and to let them use their talents to contribute. So, that meant that my son didn’t join me in the garden–a task he hated–and instead, he got to help me with the power tools building things–something he loved. It meant my daughter got to care for the animals, and we ate very little meat because she’d always been uncomfortable eating meat, and wanted to eat our animals even less. As long as chickens were good layers, they had a place on our homestead.
Especially if you have teens, I think it’s important to respect where they are–don’t see them as short-sighted or selfish (though they sometimes are). Rather, bring them in with you on this process, and don’t ask them to give up everything. To me, forcing your family to make sacrifices for *your* goal is selfish; their not wanting to isn’t. So, if you want a quest to self-sufficiency to make your family happy, tread carefully.
I really believe this is the key to keeping your family intact and happy as you pursue wind power at home and other self-sufficient paths.
