Blog Cruise: SisterT's Talking About Teaching LIFE to Mine~

This week's question:


How do you incorporate life skills into your homeschool routine?

Teaching LIFE skills...Isn't living in the home what LIFE skills are all about?  I am thinking that living in the home with family teaches them as well as relationship skills and more! Remember that ole saying DO as I SAY....Nah, it doesn't work~does it? KIDS are WATCHING...and doing..hopefully right along side of us...

Baking cookies at church~

When my kids were small, they LOVED helping me clean. In fact, I had a special small bucket or small pan that I'd let my daughter and son take a rag and while I wiped walls, they would do the baseboards and floor next to the walls~you know, mops and brooms NEVER get that close to get the filth...and they LOVED washing windows and all kinds of stuff!  We sorted laundry together~even took to jumping in the clothes occasionally! It wasn't all drudgery...my son USED to love to vacuum...ha~NOT NOW.. but he does know HOW!  Also we learned things like setting the table by DAILY setting the table...routines became our lessons~

Construction tools and remodeling~

I've done all kinds of things in our home to naturally TEACH how to mange and live in a home...I sew, so I've shown and given them small projects~never called it 'SCHOOL' but it was! LOL...even taught things like home canning and food preservation/storage and organization.  This was done by things like~assigning a child to write down and list all the food in the pantry and organize it~Also to be the person to SCRIBE the grocery list as we looked to see what was IN the pantry and what was needed  for the following time~I don't always shop weekly...but anyway,

I have also taught money management by GIVING THEM SOME and letting them GO...but also teaching conservation and thrift.  My goodness, my kids are quite the savers! Especially my daughter.  And she is always giving too~not just buying for herself...She LOVES swagbucks! Oh yes!!

Son's landscaping project...

Sooo IT'S JUST plain NATURAL to teach life skills~but I'd say that the MOST important ingredient would be WILLINGNESS to allow your kids to DO...and expecting them to DO...yeah, the job won't be as 'good' as you might on your own, but I've really had an issue with the wording, "Help me." from moms who somehow don't realize that the home BELONGS to everyone and everyone can work and EVERYONE can play~it takes everyone and children LEARN by doing...showing and preaching just are not as effective...and the doing, yes...is a process...but hey, it's soo worth it~

I am thrilled when they do something exceptionally well~like fixing a meal or cleaning up something~If you get sick, mom~you will be blessed by how well your children can continue on...It's amazing!

Thanks for coming by~don't worry about a CURRICULUM, you know how to care for your home and are working through your own life~guide your children AS YOU GO...and they will quite naturally pick up and carry on just as you've modeled..

Head on over to ck out what the CREW is saying~  Let me know your thoughts too~;-))