Julia Roberts' hobby has a parenting lesson: 5 meaningful takeaways from 'Pretty Woman' that parents can teach their children

Julia Roberts is known for her successful Hollywood career, but her life away from the spotlight has also included a love for growing food at home. The actor has spoken about gardening, cooking and eating food grown by her family, including vegetables such as beets, tomatoes and lettuce, along with eggs from their chickens.

Beyond providing fresh food, gardening can also become a hands-on way for parents to teach children important everyday lessons. From understanding where food comes from to learning patience, Julia Roberts’ approach to growing and cooking food offers some simple ideas that families can adapt at home.

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Teach children where their food comes from

A home garden can give children a much clearer idea of how food reaches their plates. Instead of simply seeing vegetables at a supermarket, children can watch seeds develop into plants before eventually becoming something they can eat.

Roberts has previously spoken about eating food grown in her garden. Getting children involved in planting, watering and harvesting can similarly help them understand the journey from soil to dinner table.

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Help kids appreciate the food they eat

Growing vegetables takes time, care and regular attention. Children who take part in gardening can see first-hand that food requires effort long before it appears on a plate.

Parents can turn this into a simple lesson about appreciating meals and avoiding unnecessary food waste. Even small tasks, such as picking tomatoes or washing freshly harvested vegetables, can help children feel more connected to what they eat.

Encourage healthy eating habits through gardening

Roberts has spoken about keeping vegetables such as beets, tomatoes and lettuce available at home and has also discussed how growing food can encourage her children to eat healthily.

Having children participate in growing vegetables may make unfamiliar foods feel more interesting and approachable. They can choose what to plant, watch it grow and eventually use the produce in a family meal.

Use gardening to teach children patience

Gardening is also a practical way to show children that good things do not always happen instantly. Seeds need time to sprout, plants need regular care and vegetables may take weeks or months before they are ready to harvest.

For children used to getting things quickly, watching a plant gradually grow can be a simple lesson in patience. It also gives parents an opportunity to explain why consistency and care matter when working towards a goal.

Introduce children to sustainable living

Roberts has also spoken about the idea of growing food, cooking it, eating it and eventually turning food waste into compost. She described this as a “beautiful circle”.

That idea can help parents introduce children to the basics of sustainability. Composting can show them that some waste does not simply have to be thrown away and can instead become part of the process of growing something new.

What parents can learn from Julia Roberts’ gardening approach

Gardening does not have to mean having a huge backyard or growing dozens of vegetables. Even a few pots on a balcony can give children the chance to plant seeds, care for something, watch it develop and enjoy the results.

Julia Roberts’ love for growing and cooking food shows how an ordinary household activity can become an opportunity for children to learn about food, patience, healthy choices and sustainability, all without turning the lessons into formal classroom exercises.