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Home Work Not Homework

Training Someone’s Future Spouse

Has it ever occurred to you that your daughter will one day be someone’s wife or that your son will be someone’s husband – and that you are teaching them and training them for that possible role at some point in the future?

(How do you like the idea of being a mother-in-law?)

I am sure when you think of the things you wish we could change regarding how you or your spouse was raised and trained, you’ll realize that it’s a role we should take seriously. So often its those little things that are done or not done the ‘right’ way that cause the most friction, especially early on in marriage… how you squeeze the toothpaste or fold socks – that kind of thing!

While there may be more than one right way to do things, and young couples have to work out their points of contention in love, we will be doing our future in-laws a favour if we train our children to be diligent workers at home. This edition of Reaching Higher is devoted to that theme: Home

Home Economics for Homeschoolers

Home Economics is a recognized matric subject for high schoolers in main stream schools.

The study of the words “home” and “economics” reveals that it means to control, govern and regulate the home. The word “economic” is based on “prudence” in Webster’s 1828 dictionary. So we could define the term of home economics as the prudent regulating of the home.

If we further think about the processes that it takes to run a home we can come up with a list perhaps as follows:

Amongst others, we realize how the principle of having our children involved in our all day, everyday lives can teach them all these processes, and more.

May we encourage you to take seriously the business of living lives with your children involved in almost every process that happens in your home!

When you cook, make sure that even the youngest member gets to chop or stir something.

When you are doing your meal plan, get your children involved in making wise food choices. Let your older girls start their own recipe collection too.

When you are de-cluttering and organizing, get them involved and ask them to share their opinions.

When you are planning your monthly budget, sit your older children down with you for them to see how the money is divided into categories.

Most importantly teach your children, from the time they can walk, to be actively involved in cleaning up after themselves and give them a weekly chore schedule.

Take confidence in your home being the perfect Home Economics Curriculum - you have everything within your four walls to teach and train your children in these valuable life skills.

If you are looking for more help on getting started, please consult Wendy’s Organised Mom pages or our page about Entrepreneurial Skills for Kids and the Ka-Ching Business Parenting Programme that we are both using with our children.

Free Printables

Last month we referred to you to our Free Printables page on our Footprints website.

This month you will see that we have added notebooking pages about South African Houses and Homes, namely the Khoi-san, Khoi-Kkoi, Xhosa, Zulu, Trekker Wagon homes plus a few others. Select the pages you need to record your South African lessons.

STOP PRESS! - We hope to bring you free printable notebooking pages in every issue of this ezine, from now on!

Websites

Take a look at another work-at-home-mom’s website – Kids Cooking Activities.

Debbie Madson shares the cooking activities that she and her young son have enjoyed together. Her site includes kids’ craft recipes, seasonal cooking ideas, easy kids meals, party stuff and more.

Take this Quick Tour to find out how you too could create a website that earns you an income every month by sharing something you know and LOVE!

Tips – Teaching Your Kids About Cooking Beyond the Kitchen

1. Grow a garden. Kids love to get dirty so this is a great activity for them to get started with. In winter you can grow herbs or even pea shoots inside. During gardening season give your child an area to plant and let them be in charge. Not only will they love to watch things grow they will sample the vegetables they are cultivating.

2. Tour factories. If you are lucky to have a food factory in your area, they often will give tours of how the factory is run.

3. Bakeries. Like factories many local bakeries if asked for a tour are happy to give kids this learning experience.

4. Restaurants. At slow times local restaurants may also be willing to give tours of there kitchen. This really gives those kids interested in cooking a bird's eye view of how things are run behind the scenes.

5. Professional chef. Do you have a professional chef in your area? Try looking at specialty kitchen shops, restaurants, personal chefs or even a cooking loving mom, dad or grandma can be a lot of fun giving a cooking presentation or lesson.

6. Kitchen specialty stores. Take a tour of a kitchen specialty shop and your kids can learn all about different appliances, kitchen utensils and more. This can really spark the interest of kid chefs.

7. Decorate or sew an apron. Buy a plain apron and let kids decorate it or find a pattern to sew for a simple apron.

8. Make pot holders. A simple idea for pot holders is to cut out designs or shapes out of an old or new ironing board cover. They make great pot holders and are sensitive to heat.

9. Involve your kids in grocery shopping. Sometimes it is easier for a mom or dad to go shopping without the kids but getting them involved can teach them a lot about healthy food, cooking and planning meals.

10. Let your kids help in planning meals. Work together as a team planning out the next week's menu and make sure they understand why boxed macaroni and cheese and chocolate cake isn't the best and healthiest option each night.

Teaching your kids about healthy eating and the many aspects of cooking is a great foundation when your kids are learning to cook. Cooking can bring a lot of fun and memorable times for the whole family.

Article Source: http://www.articles411.com

Visit www.kids-cooking-activities.com/kids-cooking-lessons.html for kids cooking lesson plans.

Till next month, we wish you every blessing

Wendy and Shirley

www.south-african-homeschool-curriculum.com

Footprints On Our Land - South African Homeschool Curriculum