More and more parents these days are dropping their kids off at the front door of public school and are expecting teachers to do it all — teach the three Rs and life skills necessary for kids to live as functioning adults in society. As homeschoolers we have an advantage; we know that essential life skills are a crucial part of our curriculum.
With the growing concept of adulting – when young adults are learning life skills for the first time as they move out on their own – it would seem that the formula public school tends to use which is an academic approach isn’t working. And homeschoolers aren’t immune to this problem.
No matter in what form they educate their children, parents who try to do and be all things for their kids are doing them a great disservice. Additionally, if parents are trusting (aka hoping) that life skills will be caught, rather than taught that only seems to work out when they pick up something we don’t want them to, right?
As homeschooling families we have not only the privilege, but the responsibility to teach our kids these all-important life skill sets that make for a well-rounded and capable grown-up.
Too, we all know that skills taught like this should begin early. I focus on the teen part of life in this article because really it’s the time to maximize what we’ve been teaching them all throughout the years.
From the mouths of homeschoolin’ mommas who have been traditionally schooled comes this list of skills they didn’t learn in school. The teen years are a great time to make sure your kiddo gets these skills down while still living under your roof. And even if they’re in high school, it’s never too late for a crash course.
And they will thank you for it down the road!
And if you’re looking for curriculum to help you teach life skills, you’ll love Skill Trekker. There are 500+ skills (and counting) in the program.
Domestic Life Skills for Homeschooled Kids
- basic cooking and cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, grocery shopping (online and in real life)
- how to sort laundry properly
- basic and advance home maintenance
- basics of human anatomy and well-being
- how to access home services
- how to garden or at least grow and care for one plant
- how to care for pets, their health and animal CPR
- how to sew is not a lost skill about homeschoolers and basic alterations
- how tos of basic couponing
- how to change a diaper
- lawn maintenance
- simple electrical and plumbing know how
- how to menu plan
Auto Care Skills for Homeschooled Kids
- how to buy a car and basic car care (oil and filter changes, how to check oil, change a tire, etc)
- determining the value of a car using the Kelley Blue Book
- how to keep an auto compliant with local law
- how to pump gas
Workplace Skills For Homeschooled Kids
- learn how to fill out a job application
- learn how to prepare a resume
- prepare for a job interview
- understand how to work with others in a workplace environment
- how to be on time for a job
Small business management, which is so relevant to many of today’s entrepreneurial homeschoolers, was and still is often reserved for college, or at least specialized trade school programs.
Your entrepreneurial kids may enjoy the boxes from Boss Club which teach kids how to be entrepreneurs. You can click on the picture below to see how they build skills for helping your kids.
Health Care Skills for Homeschooled Kids
- basic hygiene
- understand how to take care of their basic health
- understand differences in how food is grown or processed
- how to give consent for procedures
- CPR and basic first aid
- understand how to use medicine versus natural remedies
- how to notice and be caring when others have special needs like dementia, seizures, or panic attacks
- how to give basic elder care
Financial Education for Homeschooled Kids
Last, but certainly not least, many homeschool moms failed to receive an adequate, or sometimes any, financial education while in school.
- how to handle and maintain a checking account how to prepare and file taxes
- how to create and stick to a budget
- how credit works
- the basics of a mortgage and how it works
- value of saving and preparing for retirement
- how to apply for insurance and discern what’s necessary
So there you have it, skills that haven’t been taught in school in the past, and most likely aren’t today.
These aren’t fluff topics; these are concepts and abilities that will enable your teen to be a fully functioning adult and even perhaps put him ahead of many of his peers.
Don’t make your teen fumble with adulting when you can arm him with these basic essentials!
You’ll also love these other tips:
- A to Z List: Middle and High School Homeschool Electives
- When It’s Your Fault that Your Homeschooled Kids Don’t Do Chores
- Successful Entrepreneur-3 Best Homeschooled Teen Resources
- 14 Fun and (maybe Frugal) Homeschool High School Electives
- 45 Ways to Define Homeschool Curriculum – Is Your Definition Holding You Back?
Hugs and love ya
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