Many public schools don’t prepare their students for the world outside of the classroom. Many children leave school unable to do basic life skills unless they are taught at home. If you have a homeschooled teenager or maybe you just want to get an early head start with your kids, teaching them life skills is something that they’ll take with them long after they’ve left the classroom. Here are essential life skills to teach homeschool teenagers and kids.
Cooking skills
Having basic cooking skills is something that everyone should know how to do. While you might not want to teach your toddler to chop veggies just yet, they can still help mix ingredients and even pour them too. Teaching them about how to use spices and how to tell if certain dishes are cooked through are valuable skills every child should learn at some point.
Basic sewing skills
If you’ve ever had to take your clothes to be tailored, then you know just how expensive it can be to get something taken in. While you may not have the skills yourself to teach your children to be their own tailors, you can teach them basic sewing skills. Being able to repair a hole in an outfit or sew on a new button will help extend the life of their clothes.
Personal finance skills
It’s important to teach your children a few basic things about personal finance before they head off into the world on their own. This could keep them from going into major credit card debt or having to ask for money down the line. Teaching them about the importance of creating a budget and how money works in real life are important things they need to know.
Cleaning skills
Cleaning skills don’t necessarily have to mean how to clean the toilet. Knowing the dangers that may come from combining different chemicals or cleaners, and how to get stains out of clothing are lessons they need to learn.
Driver’s ed
While they will probably take a class that will teach them how to drive, you can never teach them to much about car safety. What your driver’s ed class probably won’t teach is what to do when certain parts of the cars break down, or how to drive in bad weather conditions. Going through these with your children before they enter driver’s ed will help prepare them to be behind the wheel when it’s time.
Being savvy with your money
While personal finance might teach your kids about how money is used, they also need to know what it means to be savvy with your money. This might include a few frugal living tips and how to maximize their savings. Their financial goals might be small now, but teaching them about how frugal living can lead to larger savings down the line is a great skill to teach.
This list only brushes the surface of some of the life skills you might want to consider teaching your kids before they head off into the world. I hope this list has given you some ideas for life skills to teach in your homeschool classroom.
Author Bio: Misty Bailey is the voice behind the Southeast Homeschool Expo’s Facebook page, as well as one of the convention planners here at the Southeast Homeschool Expo. She has worked in the homeschool market for nearly a decade with a multitude of curriculum companies, and as a former blogger and podcaster. She brings to the table 17 years of homeschooling experience working with her own three children, as well as founding her local homeschool group. Her goal is to encourage and inspire you on your homeschool journey by providing practical tips for real life (not cookie cutter perfection) homeschooling.
Book Your Room Online!