There are basic life skills that everyone needs to be able to function as someone who can contribute to society. I think sometimes we underestimate our kids and do things for them instead of having the patience to let them do things for themselves. Our kids are more capable than we realize. They are more capable than they realize, and they want to contribute. They long for the stability of schedules and routines. They long to feel needed and valued by having responsibilities. Here are a few life skills that every child can learn.

1. Good Hygiene

Before they eat, when they come in from outside or get home from the store. Kids can learn to wash their hands. Take a simple song they know or like (The Alphabet Song, Happy Birthday, etc…) and teach them to sing it while they scrub their hands with soap. Below are other basic hygiene ideas that children will need to know.

• Wash their hands
• Wash their hair & body
• Brush & floss their teeth
• Comb or brush their hair
• Wash their clothes: Younger children, this would be putting dirty clothes in a laundry basket. Older children can learn how to do their own wash.
• Wash their bedsheets: Younger children can learn how to strip their bed down. Older children can learn to wash their sheets weekly.

2. Clean Up Their Messes

Kids can learn to clean up after themselves and one of the best places to start is their room. It might be tempting as a parent to just go in and get it done because sometimes it is easier to just do it ourselves, but that won’t pay off in the long run. If your child bounces from one activity to another, teach them to put away games & toys before getting others out. Create an environment where children know they have chores first thing in the morning and a family pick-up in the evening. Everyone helps. Everyone works. Everyone has responsibility.

• Make their bed
• Clean up their room: Younger children can learn to put garbage and toys away. Older children can learn to dust and vacuum and do laundry.
• Household chores: Assign children a responsibility within the household. It takes a team to run a home.
• Take care of their belongings: Put their shoes away, hang up their coat, etc…
• Apologize: That’s right. Hurt feelings are also messes we cause by our actions. Children should learn that words they say can hurt and they are responsible for making things right.
• Turn their wrongs into rights: Give them the space to make mistakes, but loving help them correct them.

3. Eat Healthy

Everyone should learn how to eat healthy. Does this mean we should deprive our kids from all sugary treats? No! It means we teach them the reasons behind eating carrots and apples versus skittles and fruit snacks all day. Tell them what protein or healthy fat does for the body while eating dinner together. Have them help you make a healthy smoothie or snack.

• Have them help make dinner once a week
• Have them be in charge of one healthy snack idea
• Talk about the importance of fruits and vegetables and other whole foods
• Talk about where our food comes from
• Have them notice how their body feels after lots of sugar
• Have them pick a favorite desert, and together see if you can make it healthier

Your Homework:

What’s a homeschool blog without a little homework?

• Pick one of the three areas you’d like to work on for one week
• Brainstorm ten different ideas that your child could do within the main area
• Pick one and help them do it for one week
• At the end of the week, reevaluate.