5 Life Skills For Kids
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You may be feeling lost to the idea of homeschooling your kids. It's a stressful time, and you want to do your best to keep them engaged and teach them valuable skills at the same time. I was homeschooled when it was taboo to keep your children at home. Honestly, my parents taught me life skills that helped me tremendously.
Try your best not to feel overwhelmed by this new dynamic. You can utilize this extra time at home to teach your kids the essential skills they will need as they become adults. Check out these 5 life skills for children.
How to Balance a Checkbook
Although the majority of banking is online, now you still need to know how to balance your checkbook/bank account. If you pay bills with checks, it will not show on the available balance until it clears. Some people forget to write things down and assume they have more money in their accounts and end up over-drafting their accounts due to oversight.My mom taught me how to fill out a check and record it in the register. If you pay a bill and they state they didn't receive it, you can go back to the register for reference and get a copy of the check from the bank as proof of payment.It's important to keep a register of both deposits and outgoing bills. Sometimes tellers may post your funds to the wrong account, and you will need to provide a receipt to get it corrected. These are things that will be a financial help to your child as they begin to take on financial responsibilities later.
How to Make a Budget
This is an excellent opportunity to teach your children How to Make a Budget. With the massive downturn of the economy, we should all be updating our budgets to adjust to our new situations. If you're old school, simply write down your budget in a notebook. Otherwise, you can use programs like Excel on the computer and print it out when you are done. Make a list of all of your monthly bills and expenses along with your net income. Try to see where you can reduce costs by cutting the cable bill or using coupons. This is a significant life skill that will benefit you and your child.
How to Cook
Knowing How to Cook is crucial to survival. Not only will you be able to eat healthier, but you can also drastically reduce expenses when you eat at home. Thanks to Pinterest and Bloggers, you can find tons of recipes to try while you're teaching your children. I learned how to make bread from scratch, and I swear it's the best bread I've ever tasted in my life. It also made me appreciate how much work goes into cooking and preparing food. You can even go further and learn how to can your own food.
How to Garden & Grow Your Food
Whether this is a skill you know or not, it's something you could learn with your children. You can start growing vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, squash, and even potatoes. You can also start an inside Spice & Herb Garden. If you have a small yard, you can plant fruit trees, berries, and grapevines. Then when it's time to pick, you can learn how to make things like jam, juice, and jelly. A skill such as growing flowers and plants can be used for getting employment later at a greenhouse. Learning how to landscape, mulch, and mow are excellent skills to get into landscaping employment or even starting their own business when they are older.
How to Be a Savvy Shopper
We didn't have much money growing up, so my mom was quite savvy at saving money. Thanks to her efforts, we were able to take family vacations and do fun things because she was frugal. You'd be surprised how much money you can save by shopping at stores such as Aldi's or Sharp Shopper. Getting items that are scratched or dented also saves quite a bit. Also, purchasing generic brands rather than name brands will save you cash too. Buying items in bulk such as laundry soap, paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc. can help save money. Teach your children how to buy their clothing and household items at second-hand stores. There is nothing wrong with saving money by purchasing used items. Jeans at the Goodwill are under $6-they can range from $15-$40 at Department Stores. Another great way to save is by using coupons or apps such as Ibotta and Fetch for points and cashback rewards. Every penny leads to a dollar, and this is a great skill to teach your children.
Platforms & Apps for Additional Learning
Pinterest is a fantastic platform to help learn these skills plus many many more. You can find recipes, crafts, DIY tips, etc. YouTube is great for learning a new instrument, gardening, canning, etc. It's easier now than ever to learn a new language thanks to apps like Duolingo. It has a free version and would be a great skill for your child to learn. Other educational apps such as ABCmouse and Epic! are great for children ranging from 2-12. Check out this list for more great learning apps. By using this time to teach your kids these essential skills, you can set them up for success as an adult.