Teaching Life Skills in the Home School

Life skills are crucial for children to learn. Teaching those life skills becomes an integral part of our homeschooling life. This week's blog cruise question addresses just that: How do you incorporate life skills into your homeschool routine?

Practically from infancy, our children have had household chores, or "service opportunities." They've learned to pick up their toys from the time they were old enough (that doesn't mean they always do that, though!! :p )

Early on, they have set the table, helped in the kitchen as my cook helpers, taken turns washing dishes. Now they have pet chores, and their own laundry day, and yard work. Teen Girl is learning menu planning and meal prep skills by taking charge more often.

Every week on Preparation Day (Friday) we work together to clean the house: sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning the bathrooms, etc., so our house can be clean for Sabbath. We also try to do as much of our Sabbath meal preparations as we can on Friday, so on Sabbath we just need to reheat our dinner.

Hubby is helping the boys (particularly Teenager and Botanist Boy) learn how to do such things as house painting; carpentry; electrical; auto maintenance. I think I want him to teach Teen Girl to at least change a tire (although, she and I have done that a time or two together, when I was a single mom!), check the oil, some of those basic things that would be a good idea for her to know how to do anyway.

We also try to teach them bookkeeping skills: maintaining a checking account, managing the money they earn. Trying to teach Teenager to save his money, and spend it on only necessary items.....has been a nearly insurmountable challenge! I think I am failing at that one!! :p

The greatest life skill I want them all to learn is: to pray about everything, trust God in all things! ....Another one at which I think I am failing!.....

How do you cover the teaching of life skills in your home school?

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