Your compost is like a bigger version of my compost, only I do mine in buckets on my apartment balcony, lol. I'm not very scientific about it, it takes about a year, I don't buy anything for it, but it works. :)
And your kids are probably way better off having their natural childhood (and eating a little dirt)!
!BEER
Yay for compost :) We had vermicompost buckets for a couple of years on an apartment balcony, so yeah, no excuse to NOT compost!