Our homeschool co-op meets up every February to plan and pitch classes for the following school year, and this year one of the classes I’m hoping we’ll have is a Life Skills 101 course. Think of it as a mix between home economics, shop class, and cotillion. Kids would learn essential homemaking (and homesteading) skills, manners and etiquette, and basic “adulting” skills like filing taxes or registering to vote.
Here’s a list of the types of things I’d like to see offered in a class like this, just in case it sparks inspiration for any of you other homeschool moms out there.
- making introductions, making a good first impression, tips for remembering names, making new friends
- basic first aid
- emergency first aid/lifesaving (including drowning tips)
- time management & organization
- using basic household tools
- table manners
- changing a flat tire, checking air pressure, other tire care
- how to send mail: writing notes, addressing envelopes, tracking packages, etc.
- how to meal plan (budgets, stretching ingredients, plan a meal you’ll make)
- basic cooking techniques (make the meal you planned previous week)
- how to budget
- how to communicate strong emotions, conflict resolution
- getting a job: resumes, interview skills, how to be “employable”
- how to prep for natural disasters
- how to stand up for yourself or others, how to use your voice bravely
- “adulting” — making appointments, coordinating schedules, real life problem solving, household chores, etc.
- how to plan a vacation — public transportation, reading maps, booking rentals, exchanging currency, etc.
- cleaning tips — like “hints from Heloise” stain removal, laundry, other cleaning hacks
- flag care — how to fold it, when to retire flags, etc.
- social media literacy — spotting “fake news” and AI generated content, managing online consumption, etc.
- knot tying
- canning, dehydrating, and food safety/storage
- basic small appliance repair
- outdoor safety — topographical maps, what to do if you’re lost, how to ID dangerous plants/animals
- basic leadership skills — planning, delegating, communicating, etc.
- archery
- how to pitch a tent
- fire safety — both at home and in the outdoors, how to build a fire
- how to file gov’t paperwork — driver’s license, register to vote, absentee voting, passport forms, W9s, etc.
- signs, signals and codes — morse code and nautical signs
Spilled Milk 