Growing through Gardening with Kaitlin Mitchell
ABOUT THE EPISODE
Kaitlin Mitchell is on The Motherscope Podcast today and I’m so excited to share her knowledge and experience with you. Kaitlin owns Rutabaga Education, a hands-on program for preschool through elementary-aged children that helps students develop socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually while connecting them back to the soil. Kaitlin truly is her garden personified, she’s a joy to be around and listen to. She doesn’t shy away from the reality and truth of not only her work, but motherhood. This episode will help you feel like you’re capable and worthy of creating a life for you and your family that you can be proud of.
TOPICS DISCUSSED
What to do when you motherhood experience isn’t always desirable
Being a caretaker for a sick partner on top of being a new mom
How gardening can be beneficial for everyone and how it can strengthen bonds
Starting small as a gardener and using whatever space you have
The importance of creating a space for home for Kaitlin
RESOURCES MENTIONED
THIS WEEK’S WRITING PROMPT
Write about motherhood as if it were a garden.
ABOUT KAITLIN
KAITLIN MITCHELL is a garden educator and the creator of the Rutabaga Education Curriculum, a scaffolded collection of garden and cross-curricular lessons for elementary-aged children. Her mission is to get more families learning about and connecting with growing food while taking care of themselves and our planet.
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Jackie Leonard 00:04
Hi, Kaitlyn. Welcome to the podcast.
Kaitlin Mitchell 00:06
Hi, Jackie, thank you so much for having me.
Jackie Leonard 00:10
I'm so excited for people who listened to get to know you. Because I was I will say in the intro, just ever since I met you in person, it's just been so fun to get to know you and just learn more about all the things that you're doing that you will share later. But it really is an honor. And I always enjoy talking to you. So I can't wait to dive in.
Kaitlin Mitchell 00:33
Oh, I feel the exact same way about you, Jackie, for reals.
Jackie Leonard 00:38
So for all the people who don't know you, can you share a little bit about yourself? Before we get started?
Kaitlin Mitchell 00:44
Sure. Um, so my name is Caitlin Mitchell. And I have a company called rutabaga education. And I call myself a garden educator. So I'm helping families grow food. I'm also an author, I wrote a garden based curriculum, which consists of 90 lessons for elementary aged children. And I'm also a mother. So I have two boys who are now nine and 11, almost 10 and 12, which is crazy.
Jackie Leonard 01:13
Yeah, I, we were saying earlier how naturally with mother scope, a lot of the moms who participate, have younger children. And it's been really neat for me to kind of watch that just learn from you and and hear your experience as a mom who has children who are older and to hear you kind of just talk about Mother mothering children who are, you know, approaching teenage years and, and hear how the gardening that you do has been something that they have embraced has really kind of motivated me to dive into to the same things that you are doing through your curriculum. So again, I keep getting ahead of myself, but but I just, that's something that I I really have appreciated that you offer as somebody who has older children. So today, you're going to share what makes your mothering experience unique. And without further ado, I'd like you to take that story and share it with us.
Kaitlin Mitchell 02:21
So I think what, what really makes my mothering experience unique is that really the experiences that I've had through motherhood, going back to when I was even pregnant with my first child, and not all the experiences being desirable ones, but have really led me and allowed me to combine kind of this passion for growing your own food for eating healthy, and in combining that with my family and then ultimately turning that into a business. So kind of to back up to give a little bit of history. I am not someone who grew up grew up on a farm, or even with a vegetable garden, I grew up in a city Escondido, which is just outside the county limits of San Diego and it is an agricultural community. Especially when I was growing up. It's changed a lot. But um, but that was not my family that just I have my dad loves to be outdoors and he loved we'd always be working on, you know what we were growing, but it wasn't anything edible. And that was something that happened later in life. So in my 20s, the first time that I had an apartment with a deck that was like six square feet, and I started growing things in pots and a friend bought me a garden gnome, and I still have it. And it just slowly was something that I was interested in but didn't really dive into. And it wasn't really until I was pregnant with my first son. And my husband was not his his health was not well, he was not doing well. He was losing a lot of weight. He had constant abdominal pain. And it was kind of it was a stressful time because he was really sick and I'm pregnant with my first son. I we didn't know what was going on. And at that point he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which is an autoimmune disease that affects the large intestine. And basically, he would get so inflamed that his body could not absorb nutrients. And so we finally got him, you know, the diagnosis we got on medication, but he still was not doing great. And kind of fast forward to. And I should also mention I My background is teaching as a classroom teacher. I taught about 40 minutes from where we live. And when the boys are one in three. He got really sick, really, really sick and just his health just kept declining. And I mean just to give some perspective, he's a big guy. He's six one, he played baseball in college, and he got down to 140 pounds and it and it was really hard. It was a he it was during that time that he did get the correct diagnosis which is Crohn's disease and the difference between his previous diagnosis is that Crohn's disease affects the entire digestive tract. And the inflammation actually goes much deeper into the tissue. So, um, so yeah, he was he was really sick. And it was during the time to that. It was his sickness, it was not mine. And it's also a not a very glamorous disease. And a lot of people have never heard of it. So it was, I didn't really talk about it was just a really hard time that our family was going through. And, and I felt really helpless. And the only thing that I could do is try to control what he was eating. And even though his body wouldn't absorb everything, just whatever we having it be whole food and really nutrient dense, and just try to get as healthy as possible. And eventually, we did get him on the right medication. And he started to get better. And that was the time to that we decided that I would take a sabbatical from work we just needed stress was a big part of it. And we needed to simplify our lives. And so I took the sabbatical a year off from teaching, and I missed teaching, because I have to say, when you do feel like you have a calling teaching kids is my calling it is what I'm really good at. I love teaching adults too, but kids is just super fun for me. But um, yeah, so we I took the sabbatical, and I didn't go back, and I was home with my boys. And during that time, we had also moved to our home, we had a space where we could actually grow and plant things and build some planters. And really, we learned by doing I know, personally, I'm not someone who can sit and read and learn, I have to physically be moving. And I also learned that my children are especially my youngest are the same way. And we just really like start to develop our garden and learn about the nutrition behind everything, and kind of fell in love with it. And I just loved being out there with my boys too. And I felt like we were connecting, and just creating these memories. And I love the idea of creating memories that they'll take into adulthood. So fast forward even a little bit more. And I'll try and like speed this up a little bit. So now my son, Charlie, my oldest oldest was starting kindergarten. And even before school began, I was recruited to work on the garden program to help with the lesson planning. And so I had one who was five and one that was still three, and the program, there was an existing program, but the stamina behind the program was definitely starting to die down. It's a lot of work, to try and even get volunteers to make that commitment on a weekly basis to try and take classes out to the gardens and figure out what to do. And so I really wanted the program to exist for my three year old when so that it would be there when he started kindergarten and a little background about him. We didn't at that point, know what his challenges were going to be in school, but we knew he was going to have some and we now have the diagnosis of ADHD and dyslexia and dysgraphia. And, you know, school for him is tough. But, um, but he's brilliant, I think. And he loves to learn by doing. And so I just I was like, I want this program to be here for all the kids. And I really want it to be here when when he starts. And once I started working on the lessons and I was using my teacher brain again, it was just the perfect combination. And it was to the point that it became an obsession, an obsession, for reals. So I would be like getting up early to work on it on the weekends, I would go to a coffee shop and work on it. And the whole idea was I wanted to create this program where the lessons really were building upon themselves where they were tying in with other things that the kids are learning, I was tying in mindfulness and a little bit of Spanish. And the idea was that this I could create this curriculum that would go all the way through that would be super easy to teach. So I can it'd be easier to get volunteers to take the classes out. And it would also exist when my boys were no longer students at the school because it only goes to fourth grade. So I'm like let's create it let's so that the program can always thrive. And then a few years into that we were asked to because we do receive grant grant money for the program. And we were asked to kind of talk about our program at an event by San Diego Ag in the Classroom, which is an awesome organization. And so we have our table setup, and we are like showing what we plants and how we organize it. But what people were most interested in were the lessons because there are a lot of gardens that are built for schools and it usually it's a group of volunteers that could be a boy scouts, whatever, and they build these beautiful gardens and then teachers or parents feel overwhelmed by how to best use them. So if you're going to take classroom time, to really make it worth the time that bringing the kids out there and really supplying some really beneficial education. So then I spent about a year and a half taking the curriculum for the school and turning it into a curriculum that wasn't just specific to our school but can be used by any school or anything. organization. And, and that was kind of development of that. But through that process, I felt like not only did I use my own children as guinea pigs for different lessons and activities, I was also using the kids at the school, like what really worked, what really didn't, what messages really stuck with them. Sometimes you can do the lesson and you think it's the most like fun, amazing activity and the kids are totally bored with it. So weeding those out. And yeah, I bet I felt like throughout the whole process, as I was learning more, just by writing the lessons and writing the books, they say, if you really want to understand something, teach it. And so I was learning more, which was ultimately benefiting my family, which was creating these experiences that I got to experience with my family, and just learning more and more about nutrition. So that's what now the company has the curriculum, but also just still trying to teach families either through the school in the school just to kind of give some perspective, we have over 500 kids who get weekly garden instruction. So they're out there half an hour, every single child, which is super cool, and I'm very proud of and we have no problem getting volunteers because we have volunteers that come back year after year, because they just enjoy doing it and they're learning as well. So that's a way that they're learning and they're impacting their families. So it's been, it's, I can't imagine anything more rewarding. Um, and I'm just trying to figure out how to, you know, keep it growing to be even more impactful. But, um, but I'm I the things that aren't desirable. Yeah, I can't say my husband is in remission. And he has been for seven years, which is kind of crazy with Crohn's disease, you usually end up in the hospital, like, every five years. So and I'm not taking all the credit for that. I mean, he's got some really good doctors, but I do think it makes a difference and just kind of setting the example for the boys too, about eating healthy and, and just just for the mental health aspect of getting outdoors and getting your hands on the soil, and the patients involved from watching something from seed to harvest and the care that it takes from seed to harvest. So there's just so many, many lessons that have really benefited my own family. But also, I've gotten to see it benefit a lot of kids. And that means a lot to me and in the throughout that all just the community that's building the connections. And so yeah, so that's, that's what's unique about my mother and experiences I'm finding, being able to combine my passion, and my love for my family and my experience, and even the parts of it that aren't, you know, work for the harder times. turning those those where I'm at now, I wouldn't be here had I not gone through those.
Jackie Leonard 12:55
Yeah, yeah. No, I mean, thank you for giving such a deep dive into that journey. I, I wanted, like, I didn't want I didn't want to interrupt, but I wanted to interrupt to ask because I just really latched on to the beginning where you shared about being a mom, too, I think you said like, one in three your kids were when your husband was really his health was, was in a very scary place. And just to think about, I have a one year old and a four year old right now and what that would feel like to know, I mean, obviously no fault of his own, but to almost be a caretaker for your partner in a way or at least to be worried about them to the degree that you would worry naturally worry about your children, you know, I mean, and and to, to not know and to, I'm sure be struggling with just the day to day parenting stuff on top of all that. I just really wanted to just not to take you too far into that space. But just I mean, what was that time like for you? And how how did you with, you know, the hindsight like how did you make it through that or what do you think like pulled you through that tough time?
Kaitlin Mitchell 14:10
No, it's It's funny because I feel like I almost have like a little bit of PTSD from that time because it really was about six months. And I remember to we had a nanny who when I was working Her name was Rosa and she's this Latin woman and she's beautiful and wonderful and her boys are grown and she saw my husband and what he looked like in the look on her face and I had done such I felt such good job just like keeping it together trying to be positive take care of the boys help him as much as I could. And the look on her face me my eyes well up and she looked at me and she was like Caitlin know if you're going to cry you go cry in the shower. You do not do it from the boys you have to be stronger these boys. And I like took that and like Okay, gotta be strong gotta be strong. And I did for the most part and but there were a few times I remember one time I went out to dinner with girlfriends, some of them from high school. So girls I've known for years and I, I finally allowed myself to talk about what was going on in our family because it felt like the secret. And I allowed myself to talk about it. And one of my girlfriends is a pediatrician. So she had the medical background to understand the disease. And I found myself just finally, being able to share this experience. And you feel almost a guilt because I wasn't sick. I you know, it wasn't I wasn't the one in pain, I wasn't the one who was wasting away. And so I felt guilty, you know, complaining about what was going on with me. But it was an a, you know, with your friends who've known you for years, you can be more vulnerable. And I remember, I didn't solve cry, but I cried. And I just couldn't stop shaking. I just had this like shaking come over. And it was just my body's reaction. And then there was one other time when we were actually at the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, and my dad was there, and we're talking, we're trying to get him the right doctors. And, and my dad said, I just don't want him to feel like he's alone. And he was saying this about my husband. And then my dad started crying. And then my husband started crying. And I started crying. And the poor woman who was talking to us, I'm like, I'm so sorry, we are a very emotional family. But, um, but just it was almost like a sense of relief cry, that like, wow, we're actually going to get some help and things could get better. And so it was, it was a really, you know, I realized I'm not good to ask him for help. And it was a huge lesson for me in retrospect, that it's okay to ask for help. And even if you're not the one who's physically going through, you know, someone that you care about, if you're that you're caring for or that you care about is going through a really rough time, you might need some emotional support as well. So that it was really hard. I mean, I really do. I think I have PTSD, about the whole thing. And even now, if he's not starting not to feel good, I kind of go to this place, like a little bit of a panic of what do we need to do? Let's not go down that road again. Yeah, let's reevaluate what's going on in our lives? Are we do have too much stress? Do we? You know, where can we simplify? Where can we? What is our diet been looking like lately? And it? Yeah, it was, it was really tough. And yeah, very few people really, even within my family didn't really know what was going on. And because Eric was able to isolate himself, that's my husband. And he could even work from home, that people that he worked with, didn't know how sick he really was. So yeah, it was it was it was tough. I, some lessons I did learn from that, for sure is that it is okay to ask for help. And it is okay to share. And I, you know, it's not a glamorous disease, as I mentioned. So I felt like I couldn't share. But now I think I overshare about it, and I talk about it all the time. But if there's anyone else out there who has a similar, you know, is going through something similar, that it's okay to talk about it and let people know that you're there. But you might not. You might be feeling like crud, even though you're there.
Jackie Leonard 18:11
Yeah. One, obviously to give voice to Crohn's disease, and how difficult it is so important. I think, just as you were sharing, there are so many parts of the feelings that you experienced, that I could relate to, as a new mom, or as somebody who has had, maybe something that didn't directly affect me, but or wasn't about me, but impacted me to the point where I needed support. And that kind of, and I think a lot of moms experienced this where there's this, like, I don't want to make this about me, I don't want to take you know, try to look a certain way when I share about this or just credit, whatever. And so I really loved how you said that, like when you were finally able to get with a group of friends. And you somebody in that group was like, Oh, I know what you're talking about. Like, that was what your body was like, Oh my gosh, like, you know, like, I can let that like somebody can hear me and understand me. I remember the interest at
Kaitlin Mitchell 19:16
a restaurant and I was so grateful it was like a weekday and a lot of it because I I just had an opportunity to let it all out. And it was so therapeutic. But But I do remember after that I was exhausted for days, because I finally was able to like I just been holding this all in for so long. So yeah, thank goodness for like, friends that you can be vulnerable with and because I think sometimes we have to set up this facade of like, everything's going great. And also you don't want to burden that sense of you don't want to put your problem onto someone else. But um, but that but shouldn't be able to when you need to.
Jackie Leonard 20:02
Yeah. And I think there's something to be said about, you know, when you're in survival mode, you do have to kind of hold it together. Like, it's not that it was wrong of you to keep that all in when you needed to, because it's like you had to function, you had to be able to take care of these kids, you had to have some semblance of normalcy, so that, you know, you guys could continue to do the things you needed to do as a family, and, but to balance that with or like, you know, have those moments where you were able to go and do that, I think is something that a lot of people probably could benefit from hearing that is needed. And, you know, like you said, Thank God, you had the support system to do that. And the other thing that that really spoke to me, when you were sharing was just how, like limitless, the benefits are to, to the gardening. And I always like to say that writing has a lot of like, so many benefits to it that extend beyond just like, I don't know, sharing a story or like some, like emotional benefits, I think there's actual physical benefits to it that have been researched and things like that. But as you were sharing, I was just like, wow, this goes so deep the gardening because it's not just, you know, being able to grow food to eat, it's being able to, to the process of seeing things, you know, the trial and error, the the sense of accomplishment that you get, also the failure and having to like push through that. And then use the bringing in the cultural components to the, you know, the gardening, the science, the literature, you can read things that, you know, tie into that. And so it's so holistic and well rounded, the stuff that you've created. I don't know what Common Core was around when you did this. But it just like, if this is like embodying what you know, it's supposed to be, which is like, really just the full scope. And I think, on another level, like you said, it's really kind of created this bond between you and your family. That it also
Kaitlin Mitchell 22:15
I don't know, I'm a big, I love the idea of making memories. I wouldn't. I mean, I have my own memories growing up. And I think if like, what are they going to remember, they're going to remember, you know, the negative things I don't want them to remember, I think, but I want them to remember that just being out there. Or even when they think of me, you know, what that it gave me it was mentally healthy. For me, it was physically how you know, and as they grew up into adults, maybe their desire to want to do their own that, you know, with their own families. And yeah, it really, and it's not just the family, either. It's just working with the classrooms, I feel like it is the most equalizing activity that you could do with a group of kids, because it doesn't matter how well you read, it doesn't matter how well you throw a baseball, it it really is, everybody's out there working together, everybody can plant a seed. Everybody can watch it grow. Everybody can have success. Everybody can have failures. And they can learn from those failures. It's, I mean, I can list like a 10,000 reasons I was gonna say gazillion, but I'll do why it's just such a good thing. And especially I know, everybody talks about COVID and post COVID life and but um, and for all kids, I have two boys, one that digs like gardening, he would be out there with me all the time. I'm one who does not. And that's just who he is. But at the same time, I feel like he needs to be out there just as much like he, he is one that would love to look at a screen all day if I let him and so we have to have a ton of limits on that. But um, but for all kids, it's just and then also he's the one no, that surprises me and was like, I just want to grow carrots, I don't want you to help me. I'm going to do it all by myself. And he did. And carrots can be kind of tricky, actually. And he grew the most beautiful carrots. And I was kind of annoyed to be honest, because I'm like, You didn't even do anything. And you grew the most beautiful carrots in. So but he didn't want anyone to help them and that satisfaction. So I know it's sticking with him too. And it's just, yeah, it's really, really cool. It's something I obviously care a lot about. And I have families that I have helped that are really good friends and just seeing like, how it's bringing them especially because they these are families with teenagers and they're, you know, as your kids are getting older and you're still looking for ways to connect and make those memories that, you know, they're not as interested in as they were when they were little. And I don't know finding new ways to connect and then there's still I mean, not to be forgotten but the whole eco conscious aspect of it all too. Like having the kids care about the pollinators that they're seeing when they're out there and understanding that the health of the soil really determines the health of their plants and all those, you know, there's so much Jackie, there's so
Jackie Leonard 25:15
and the work that goes into making your food like to have to see that, you know, yeah, absolutely just
Kaitlin Mitchell 25:21
appreciating and being grateful for the food that's in front of you. And just even the positive peer pressure aspect of it of growing lettuce. And we haven't been able to do at the school this year. But in previous years, we would grow lettuce and we would harvest it and like with an assembly line process, have the kids washing it and salad spinner and tearing it up into pieces and make our own dressing. And the kids would eat it to the point that even my own son who does not love lettuce, he was into like, what, you're totally eating that salad, I see you eating that salad, and it's in the kids, you know, kind of having a different kind of giving, getting over those like hurdles. I don't know, I can't think of a better word about trying new foods and being open minded about trying new things.
Jackie Leonard 26:07
No, as a former picky eater, I think I don't know what it is. But something about once I like learned how to cook and was doing things myself and putting together these meals, that shifted something in me to be able to try things that I had never trapped, like wanted to try before. And I can imagine that the gardening is the same way where it's like you're having a hand in and you do provide these recipes and what I think sets what you do so far apart from anything else I've seen, it's just, you make it so accessible. You know, it's like, you can easily look at the pictures of your garden and be like, Oh, wow, that's like really nice, but I will never do that. But you really have anticipated that. And you speak to the challenges that you had when you were starting but also the current challenges you have like, I had a bad crack this you know, I tried this and it didn't work but worst comforting year
Kaitlin Mitchell 26:58
ever. Yeah. And I don't know why it just was but yes. And that okay, that's no little mini lesson is that not nature is so unpredictable. And you got to be flexible and go with the flow, which and I think a lot of us learned that lesson last year. But um, yeah, that's just another one of the 10,000
Jackie Leonard 27:19
the life lessons that gardening will teach you I loved also, I saw your post, I think it was from this today on social media, you posted about how our plants like here, like they respond to sound. And I always when I see people that have like, lovely gardens, I'm always like, you can tell this person has put so much love into it. Because they do respond.
Kaitlin Mitchell 27:39
Hey, do we did Teddy, they did a test once and we had to ident I should have spoken to that. But we had two identical lettuce plants, and we bought them a seamlines. And we would and he was littler. So he would be more into the stuff. But um, we would talk nicely to it. We sang it a song, and it didn't grow bigger and more abundant. And I don't I don't know if what that was, but I truly believe that sound makes a difference. And if you look it up, it's the I mean, the studies are there, it really shows that it's true. So yeah, and yeah, it's positive energy, too. It's just putting it out there.
Jackie Leonard 28:15
Yeah, and what I the last thing I wanted to say was one of the things that I've heard come up a lot recently, so I wanted to speak to this was, I've heard a lot of moms talk about like not not loving every aspect of parenting, there's things that you know, they're struggling, not enjoying some of the things that they have to do with their kids. And, and hearing you talk I was thinking about a not the other many benefits is that adults can learn alongside the children. And so it doesn't have to be something that you naturally, you know, are drawn to, but it's, it's an activity that I for myself, like I enjoy doing more than maybe, you know, building a tower with my son like I kind of there's certain things that he likes to do that I'm just kind of like, okay, I'm just doing this for him. But to sit down and when we would get in the garden and and dig and plant things. I loved it. And I learned to love it even more. And then to have him learning alongside me, helps, you know, like you've talked to the bond that you can create with with your kids. I encourage people to try it even if it's something that you haven't been naturally drawn to. Because there are so many different components to it, that there has to be some part of it that that you respond to. And you also what I think is really beneficial is speak to the way that anybody can garden no matter where they live, because you know, it can be really hard if you think like oh, well I don't have a yard so like I guess they can't do that. But there are many ways even indoors.
Kaitlin Mitchell 29:51
salutely Yeah. On a really small scale. I mean if you if you can, you can put a pot by beside your front door. If you Get just like four hours of sun and you could grow some lettuce, you know, it's not people think they have to have the big garden structure in place. But really, I kind of suggest starting the other way around, and start really small. And then as you gain more confidence or start to fall in love with it, or, you know, just whatever you take from it, then you start to grow your garden. And we really, that's kind of what we did, we were just throwing seeds in the ground, like we when when we started and it's just been a slow progression to what it is now. And now. Now we're building a greenhouse does not fit in our backyard. But it's happening anyways. So yeah, start small, and don't have super high expectations for yourself. And just enjoy the journey of it, I think is, is the best advice I could give to new gardeners.
Jackie Leonard 30:49
Great. I could go on and on with you. But I'm going to segue into our final three shares from you. The first is going to be it could you share a song that you feel like summarizes a little bit of your motherhood experience? Yes.
Kaitlin Mitchell 31:11
Okay, so it's kind of a corny one. But I think if we all had movies of our lives, like this is the one I would want, like as I'm walking into the sunset in the credits, but it's the song home by Phillip Phillips. And I'm always kind of drawn to folksy. I don't know what it is about me. But um, it's just the idea. I think during COVID, where home was a place that was kind of the world was crazy. And it really affected me and really affected my older son, you know, just what was going on the world. But home was a place to be safe. And I also feel like home can also be within a person. You know, being vulnerable, you can find home and your friends in your family. And I'm hoping that you know, as my boys are getting older, and they're coming into their own home is still a place where they can still be like weird and quirky and dorky and, and still be themselves. And yeah, and I'm trying to like remember the lyrics I should have it. It's, it's just about like, even when you're off your path, when you feel like you're kind of lost, you can always find your way back home. And it's also just like super catchy, I will turn it up and I will sing it to my boys and I just want them to know there is like, a safe space of home within our family.
Jackie Leonard 32:25
I love that I'm pretty sure I know the song. So I'm going to go like pull it up after this cuz I think I know it. And I'm like hearing it in my head.
Kaitlin Mitchell 32:31
Yeah, it wouldn't even sound like it. If I almost did at one point. I'm like, No, don't see it. Because it won't even sound anything like it. Because I'm not a good singer.
Jackie Leonard 32:40
Well, good enough reason to go check it out after a few think you know what it is. And we have been really vague about avoiding singing it. Um, so then the next request after that was, oh, my gosh, I don't have in front of me. What some solicited mom advice that you would share.
Kaitlin Mitchell 33:00
So this is something that I need to remember myself too. And it's really, as your children get older, and you realize like, they are their own people. I'm really accepting them for who they are, I think I have made the mistake in the past of trying to want them to fit or conform, you know, what is expected within society, within community, even within my own family, and really trying to embrace like, they are who they are, as long as they're kind as long as they're being respectful. And hopefully someday they find something that they feel really passionate about, like, let your quirky flags fly, like, I know, I'm quirky, and they are their own people. And but even to the point where I've said to my son, like, you are a weird, dude. And then you'll do something weird. And it's like, okay, it's a good thing. Like you're aware, dude, like, just, you know, just be a good person. But, um, but you be you, I think I, I, you know, you sometimes put your own expectations about how they should act and how they, but if they're good people, then you know, embrace, embrace the little individuals that they become because I have to say, just in the last year and a half, watching my older son who's almost 12, he is coming into his own and he is his own guy, but he's a good guy. So just kind of let rolling with it.
Jackie Leonard 34:26
I really like that. And I I saw a quote recently that said something like, you know, when having when deciding to have children, remember that you're not raising babies, you're the job is to raise humans. Yes. And so it's not just you know, we think so much about the caretaking component, but we're really there to nurture whole whole beings that are not extensions of ourselves. They're, they're separate and so much of the world does suppress individuality that it's really I really I also need to remind myself that over and over again that we should foster their uniqueness. Because there's so much out there that's going to encourage the opposite that if we can be the ones that say, be as weird as you want to be and embrace that, then that's part of the job.
Kaitlin Mitchell 35:20
It was like this spark, that it's like a really special spark in one of my children. And I'm like, I just hope no one ever like, you know, dampens that spark because it's just he's got a really, but it's, he's a lot. Um, I don't know. Yeah, it's just it's it's that acceptance, I guess. So. Yeah, let them be heard or just keep them in line with being kind and respectful. And it'll be okay.
Jackie Leonard 35:47
Yeah. And my last request is, what is something that you watch, listen to, or read recently that you loved and want to recommend to the rest of us?
Kaitlin Mitchell 35:58
Okay, so this might be a little weird, and I don't want to be like fam girlish. But, um, I was listening to your podcast with Lindsey, who I also know. And, and I had mentioned to you earlier that I really love that. When I listened to your podcast, I listened to the different stories, there are mothers who are going through different things in different phases, but I'm always able to take something from the conversation. And Lindsey was talking about just going through the process of being a single mother and dating, and what that process looks like. And in the beginning, you kind of feel like you're being interviewed, but really flipping the script and turning it around to being the one who's actually doing the interviewing. And then you brought up the point how that also could apply to relationships. And I know for myself, I am a ginormous people pleaser, happened my whole life. And I've always wanted people to like me, like what I'm doing. And I've really started to COVID this will actually been in my 40s, I'm 45, I'd say turning 40 I kind of kind of flipped the script around, like, you know, I put so much energy into this relationship. But really, is this a relationship that I want to invest so much? And, and, and just even the kind of acceptance of what people think of me? And I'm like, I know my heart. I know, my intention. And if someone is not someone doesn't like that, then that's really not on me at all. So it's a them it just it's not. So I liked that aspect of, you know, thinking more about like, not what everybody's thinking of you, but you have a lot of power in that interaction in that relationship as well. And you should, you're just as important, you know, that. It goes both ways. So yeah, so your podcast.
Jackie Leonard 37:46
Thank you. I thought you were going to share, when you were starting to talk that they were going to share about Lindsay's meal prep, which I did all service that you've done that you've done before, and I've been dying to as soon as we get more settled, but it kind of add it relates to kind of what you do the next part, which is the meal prep and tape, you know, the food to table component and
Kaitlin Mitchell 38:12
that it's amazing, Jackie, you should do it. Yeah, it's,
Jackie Leonard 38:16
it's called vyond. And Lindsay, who was a previous guest started that and is still obviously it's her. It's her business now that she's doing and she just has people prep meals. Live and there's a lot of accountability there. And I've seen the gorgeous stuff that that you guys all all create. Yeah. So anyway, check that out. And thank you for the, the the review or the just hearing you how you process that episode. I really appreciate that, too. Yeah. So how can people connect with you and learn more about what you do?
Kaitlin Mitchell 38:53
So, um, I am on Instagram. So it's the name of the company, it's rutabaga. So it's Ruta be a GA? Thoughts, education. So that's my handle on Instagram. And then I also have a website that speaks more to the curriculum and what we do and it's just the rutabaga, education.com Without the dot between rutabaga and education. And that's, that's where I'm at right now. So I do I like to share what we're growing. I like to share it we're doing at the school, I like to share just interesting tidbits that have to do with gardening or nature. Yeah, I'm hoping that it's a that the Instagram is a place where people find inspiration, but also see the ups and downs that go into growing your own food. And so yeah, so that's where I'm at.
Jackie Leonard 39:43
Awesome, and I was trying to do the math in my head. I'm pretty sure your Episode will air before the end of the holidays. But even if it doesn't, your curriculum, your books, they're beautiful, but they're also just loaded with such great information I've requested them as gifts for my own children. I've gifted them to people that I know have little ones, I really strongly recommend checking them out for, for gifts, because I think they make really great gift options as opposed to maybe just your typical toys and, and things like that,
Kaitlin Mitchell 40:17
Jackie. And I do have to say that was one thing during COVID, where a lot of families who decided to homeschool or decided to create these pods or just wanted more enrichment into what their child was receiving for etic education. Use the books for that. And so it that's been one of the really rewarding things too, is I've seen the books being used in ways, even with high school with kids with special needs, but giving them you know, older children and just giving them those skills and that confidence and just seeing them used in ways I didn't even imagine I couldn't imagine. So it's Yeah, so thank you for that. I appreciate that.
Jackie Leonard 40:57
You're doing great work. And I always love talking to you. And I really appreciated your you taking the time today to chat and I can't wait for people to learn about you and know you so thank you again.
Kaitlin Mitchell 41:10
Awesome. Thank you so much, Jackie. Alright, bye