Many aspects play into building healthy relationships and strong families.  According to the University of Kentucky’s publication, “Family Vitality: Characteristics of Strong Families,” relationships that include good communication skills, fun times, time together, involvement with friends and community, commitment, and a healthy lifestyle are some essential characteristics of strong families (Rupured and Quick, 1997).   In order to build strong families and help foster these vital characteristics, the Campbell County Extension taught the series- Flowerbuds.

The Campbell County family and consumer sciences agent teamed up with the horticulture assistant to teach the Flowerbuds series, which provided educational family time for 10 preschoolers and 10 caregivers.  Flowerbuds met monthly from June 2017-November 2017 for a garden-themed story time, tours of the educational gardens, a hands-on activity for the child and caregiver, and a healthy light snack. The University of Kentucky’s Leap curriculum, Plate it Up and NEP recipes, and Keys to Great parenting lessons were utilized.  End of the series written evaluations showed that 100% of the caregivers said the series helped them bond with their child.  90% said they learned new ideas on ways to interact with their child, and 88% said their child became more open to trying new foods. 100% said their child’s knowledge about gardening increased. Some of the comments from the caregivers about the program were the following:  1) “We planted some tomatoes and have watched them grow, and then we ate them!” 2) “We now do some cooking prep with each other, and we talk about food choices at the farmers’ market.”  3) “Spending uninterrupted time together helps during busy weeks.” 4) “After meetings, we would talk about and recreate some of the activities.” 5) “The new and different exposure to gardening and new books/stories helped her learn more.”