One of the things I love about Facebook is how often my nieces and nephews post pictures from daily life and how I see they, like their parents, and my parents, involve their kids in the work they do. So when they garden, so do all the kids, even the 2-year-old hauling seedlings in his wagon, for example. I think that's what farm life is just like

They're cleaning house, gardening, chopping wood, feeding horses, cleaning out the barn, and so on. So, please admire her skill and don't be shocked at a 9-year-old chopping wood. It's pretty normal.

As long as they're able to handle it safely, I think it's great for kids to be involved in everything and learning to be responsible and helpful and all that, from the beginning.