Homeschooling offers a unique opportunity to teach powerful life skills during class time. But how does a homeschooling family know where to begin? What lessons are essential? As a homeschool parent myself, I have done the research and I’m ready to share the list! So, let’s dive into the key life skills every great homeschool education includes.
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Important Life Skills for Young Adults
Managing Time
- How to set up a manageable schedule.
- How to set five year, one year, and quarterly SMART goals.
Managing and Making Money
- How to write a great resume
- How to apply for a job
- How to prepare for and make a great impression at a job interview
- Budgeting
- Paying Bills
- Monitoring Accounts Online
- Investing
- The importance of saving.
- The 50/20/30 rule
- How to use credit cards to build credit scores without going into debt.
- How to file taxes.
Car Maintenance
- How to add air to a tire.
- How to change a tire.
- Set up a maintenance schedule.
- How to compare gas prices.
- Use jumper cables.
Home and Family Maintenance
- Cleaning
- Organizing
- Lawn care. Mowing and raking.
- Weatherproofing
- How to unclog a toilet or drain.
- How to prepare your home for flooding.
- How to prepare for a situation where you might lose power.
- How to use a fire extinguisher.
- How to change furnace filters.
- Meal Planning
- How to create balanced meals (protein, vegetable, carb)
- Grocery Shopping
- Cooking
- How to use appliances in the kitchen.
- Laundry
- Sew a button.
- Iron or steam.
Physical & Mental Health
- How to recognize when your mental health is unstable.
- Diet, exercise, and mindfulness and their impact on mental health.
- Understanding supplements.
- How to manage healthy self-esteem.
- Coping mechanisms for stress and anxiety.
- How to stand up for yourself.
- How to set healthy boundaries.
- Hygiene
- Understanding your health insurance.
- How to fill out admittance and HIPPA forms.
- The importance of annual physicals.
- Making healthy choices. (Diet and Exercise)
- Understanding Social Media and how it affects your mental health.
Citizenship
- Community Etiquette.
- How to register and vote.
- How to get involved with the community through volunteering and service opportunities.
Communication
- How to schedule appointments.
- Social Skills.
- How to write a professional email.
Grab Your Printable Checklist Here
Resources to teach teens life skills…
If you are not sure where to find the resources to teach these items, I can tell you that I reference a lot of youtube videos for the home stuff.
As far as the health and nutrition stuff, I adore Apologia’s Health and Nutrition curriculum.
Car maintenance is something that I am counting on his Dad to teach him, but an uncle or a knowledgeable aunt could do the trick too.
For time management, there are countless resources online. Just look up SMART goals and daily schedule planning. I do know that SMART Goals Made Simple by SJ Scott is popular.
T learned most of the money stuff from his Money Matters books. There is a Money Matters workbook and a small Money Matters textbook. He also took an economics class through Varsity Tutors that filled in the blanks on markets and investing. He will be taking his final economics course through Future Learn which covers planning and budgeting.
For fire safety and how to use a fire extinguisher, you can find several free lesson plans from NFPA. Also, here is a quick video from OSHA all about fire extinguishers.
A lot of this is hands-on learning. Give them the reins and let them go. T has been responsible for doing the meal planning, ordering the items for curbside pickup, and keeping it within budget several times. Hands-on learning is the stickiest kind. There are so many real-life opportunities to teach. Let’s all take advantage of them. That’s what homeschoolers do!
Grab your Adulting 101 Life Skills Checklist right here!
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