Victor Justin Rhodes argues that kids need daily struggle to build perseverance, self-confidence, and mental toughness. He sees difficulty as essential preparation for the obstacles they'll face later, not something to shield them from.
There is one reason for homesteading that you are probably overlooking, and that is struggle. Kids need to struggle every day doing something hard because when they set out to do something hard, they learn to push through difficulty. They fail, and then when they succeed, that builds self-confidence and character. And that getting through, that success, it builds emotional, mental toughness, and prepares them for inevitable future obstacles, whatever those may be.
If I had to start my Homestead all over again, it could only pick one animal… 
