Photo Provided James Haizlett poses beside wood that he splits by hand on the family farm near Bethany. Son Will helps cut firewood when he is home on breaks from college. Both men use wood from the farm in creative endeavors. The Haizletts have heated their home with wood for more than 20 years.

Brooke County residents James and Jo Ellen Haizlett believe that as parents, their role involves teaching their children, letting their offspring learn on their own, and learning from their children. “We have made our share of mistakes raising our children, and there are some things we wish we would have done differently. But in a family, love and forgiveness can cover up a multitude of parenting mistakes,” commented James Haizlett, who is an associate professor of art at West Liberty State College. The Haizletts, who will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary this summer, have six children, two sons and four daughters. “We are advocates of big families because there’s a lot of learning that can happen from each other,” James said. They reside on the family dairy farm near Bethany where Jo Ellen grew up. They raise chickens and have a garden, while Jo Ellen’s sister and brother-in-law, Ann and Steve Paull, run the farm, raising cows and horses. From an early age, the Haizletts’ sons, Ben, 23, and Will, 21, worked side by side with their father, learning to use tools safely. Ben, who has always been mechanically minded and began asking for tools as birthday gifts in childhood, is a diesel mechanic in Virginia. Will, who became involved in woodworking at an early age, is a college senior who makes and sells furniture, guitars and mandolins. As parents, the Haizletts have given their children space to learn, make mistakes and figure things out on their own.