Life Skills

 

this will be the featured post at Latter-day homeschooling on 11/1/10

Pink Giraffe broom by Casabella
(I own the Cheetah print broom)

What are those three little words a woman wants to hear from her man?
”I do laundry.”
Or how about, “I can cook.”
”I wash dishes.”
Okay, yes, I’m making this a little one sided.  How many young ladies have gone off on their mission with no housekeeping skills, cooking skills, or the ability to do her own laundry (yes, they have to clean their apartments, cook and wash)? How many of us left home without really having any idea what we were in for? (raising my hand, here)  We moms live a life of service, but we  have the responsibility in this serving, somewhere, to teach our children self sufficiency.  I know it is easier to just do it ourselves, that it takes TIME to teach them and we have to SLOW DOWN and be PATIENT while THEY LEARN to do it over and over and over.

Now, this has not been easy for me to do, personally, and I’m still struggling, because I didn’t have the example of involved parents when I was growing up.  They did the best they could, or knew how, I guess. I’m trying to improve on it with my family, teaching them to be responsible, but I also tell my children, that if there is something they did not like that I did, or how I taught, “Improve on it with your own children.  Don’t waste your time whining about how you didn’t like what/how I did. Improve on it.”  ( I have noticed am improvement through the generations)

I have discovered web site about this, imagine that, so here we go…

How to Teach Your Children to Clean Up
Teach your Children to Enjoy Chores..

As I was digging through a stack of old papers, I came across a list, or a basic guideline, of responsibilities our children should be able to learn to do at certain ages.  I’m not sure where it came from, but I thought I would pass it on.

3 Year Olds can learn to

• dress self
• use potty by themselves
• start to brush their own teeth
• put toys away
• say prayers (personally, I think this depends on the individual child)

4 Year Olds can learn to

• brush teeth
• make bed, pick up in their room
• get a bowl of cereal
• make sandwiches
• memorize address and phone number
• start learning articles of faith

5 Year Olds can learn to

• straighten a room
• vacuum
• empty household trash  cans
• set  the table
• make own sandwich
• warm up canned food (with supervision, of course)
• help in the garden, plant vegetables and seeds

6 Year Olds can learn to

• take shower without help
• dust the furniture
• load dishwasher
• empty dishwasher
• run microwave
• water the plants
• make and answer phone calls

7 Year Olds can learn to

• wash dishes
• clean cupboard doors
• floss their own teeth
• clean the bathroom (including the toilet)
• pull weeds in the garden
• have a saving account (if they get an allowance or do jobs for money)
• read aloud

8 Year Olds can learn to

• grooming (nails,notice dirty face)
• get up by themselves
• participate in team sports or clubs (if not sooner)
• notice and develop personal talents
• clean mirrors
• sweep
• do own hair
• begin piano lessons, or other instrument
• get baptized
• read scriptures daily
• have their own library card
• choose books
• care for pet
• help with younger siblings
• be aware of their testimony

9 Year Olds can learn to

• mop the floor
• clean and dust pictures on walls
• bake cookies
• be aware of their 72 hour emergency kit
• learn basic first aid
• wash car  and vacuum interior
• basic carpentry--hammer nails, saw wood
• cook vegetables
• write letters , maybe have a pen pal, thank you notes
• basics of sex education
• email grandparents
• wrap gifts
• sew on buttons when they’ve come off

10 Year Olds can learn to

• Do own laundry
• play musical instrument
• write in journal on their own
• understand the benefits of exercise 
• clean stove
• help more in the kitchen, make salads
• understand basic nutrition
• iron their own clothes
• use leaf blower
• plan their own little garden space
• place a collect call
• know articles of faith
• write creatively

11 Year Olds can learn t

• clean refrigerator
• straighten drawers
• straighten closets
• sew hems
• start cooking---breads, pies, main dishes

12  Year Olds can learn to

• have basic fashion awareness and help shop for their wardrobe
• read  a newspaper article and report on it
• speak in public (4-H or church)
• consider weight management
• make and keep dentist appointment
• iron own clothes,, if needed
• plan family meals
• mow lawn
• use weed eater
• start mission preparation
• have good basic math skills
• use a camera (if you dare)
• learn to crochet or knit
• learn first aid
• take a babysitting class and babysit
• clean windows
• use internet (parental supervision, of course)
• keep personal calendar
• use common computer programs
• read the Book of Mormon through
• basic auto maintenance (check oil, fluids) 
• Mend clothing

13 Year Olds can learn to

• sew simple items
• shop for clothes and other items
• find bargains
• plan parties
• have own recipe files
• shop for groceries
• care for plants –teaches responsibility of keeping something alive
• keep a simple budget
• household bills (gain an understanding)
• Certify for CPR
• Type without looking
• Understand prescriptions
• Learn meat-handling rules

14 Year Olds can learn to

• understand basics of food storage
• memorize social security number
• understand about interest, debt and securities
• use makeup
• identify business skills to get some experience with sales
• understand basic civics and politics
• accompany parent to vote
• perform thorough car detailing
• change flat tire
• use proper etiquette 
• clean garage
• understand basics of car operation
• do simple household repairs
• memorize scripture mastery

16 year olds can learn to

• get driver’s license
• understand credit cards, debit cards
• Use ATM if they have their own account
• sell and by on eBay (only if you are comfortable with it)
• learn about retirement plans
• focus on mission prep
• understand interviewing
• understand advertising
• start career planning
• file insurance claim (if you do that in your household)
• car insurance
• perform household repairs
• assist in purchase of car-research and compare  vehicles before you buy
• open checking account
• file tax return
• interact with auto mechanics
• pay for and use a cell phone
• get a job

Of course, modify as you see fit in your family, but we must remember to be there, teaching, waiting for them to get it.  Perfection at first is not necessary.  If the little one’s clothes are on….great.  Matching clothes is secondary. 

Praise. 

Praise.

Praise for doing something, anything, right.

Would you consider writing a post/guest post on how you accomplished teaching any life skill?  We’ve had a few, but there is room for more.  How did it work for you?  What jobs do your children do around the house and at what ages?  How do you get chores done?

Be Wild Angle Broom found here
These animal print brooms are hard to find.  I am lucky to have mine.
Camo Print Broom by Alice Supply

I have wrapped Tie-Dye duct tape around the handles of my mop and um…plunger. Takes some of the pain out of cleaning.

Teresa is a widow, with 4 children at home, trying to manage this parenting thing on her own. She relies on the Lord for guidance, inspiration and everything else.  You can find her family goings on and a few homeschool activities at Wockenflock Daze.

Food Storage for November

WATER AND FILTER ACCESSORIES

 

 

Amount to store: minimum of 14 gallons/person

1 extra bottle sodium hypochlorite bleach solution

1 bottle tincture of iodine or iodine water tablets

Flavorings for water if desired

Okay, my friends on the baby step program,how is the food storage process going?  Do you see some items in the bottom of your closet starting to build up?  Is your closet running out of room?  I sure hope so.  What can you toss in this month that you didn’t use in October?  Be patient, now, because we will take inventory in December or maybe at the start of the new year.

Now, for November:

A family can subsist for quite a while without food, but for only a short time without water, therefore it is important not to minimize the importance of storing water. The amount to store varies greatly with age and levels of need. For instance, children under three consume more water than adults and also need more bathing than adults. In moderate weather, a fairly sedentary person consuming an average low-protein diet requires a minimum of ½ gallon of water per day for drinking and food preparation. As a minimum, store 14 gallons per person for a 2-week period. A two week period will cover most natural disasters and broken water pipes

Water can be stored in purchased, boxed shaped, 5 gallon storage containers available in stores and web sites selling emergency preparation items. Water can be stored in food grade plastic bottles with plastic lids (with the exception of bottled water jugs and milk jugs. They do disintegrate and leak after a couple years, leaving you with a mess to clean up.) Some to rotate their water bottles in the summer, giving an excuse for a good water fight.  I store water in empty cranberry juice jugs. (Ladies, we also need to store our cranberry juice or cranberry supplements)

Here is a site for water storage containers to give you an idea to ponder on.  I have seen water filtration systems in camping departments at local stores. 

There are 4 basic methods for obtaining drinkable water from polluted water: filtration, chemical treatment, freezing and distillation.(I have yet to find information on how the freezing method works.)   You will find the methods in a table below.  Filtration and chemical are usually used in combination. The water is filtered to remove large particles (like mud), then treated with bleach, iodine or water purification tablets. If desired, flavorings can be added. Lemonade covers bleach a little, but strong dark colors are better for iodine since they help cover the color change of the water.  I happen to have iodine liquid. I am not sure where I got it..maybe on the counter at a gas station…

In an emergency, you can get water from the toilet tank (from the reservoir in the back, not the bowl!!!) or from your home’s hot water heater, if it has been regularly cleaned.  Water can be stored in the bathtub.

Have you considered keeping a rain barrel or two? What do you use for a rain barrel?  Would a plastic trash can do? What are all the ways you use water? What are your needs?

An interesting read about water is National Geographic, April 201o.

WATER PURIFICATION METHODS:

• BOILING: the safest method for purifying water is to boil it vigorously for 2-3 minutes to destroy bacteria. To improve the taste, pour the boiled water from one clean container to another several times to aerate it. Cool, or even add clean, uncontaminated ice to improve palatability. As a last resort, mix up weak (1/2 strength) Kool-aid or lemonade with the purified water.

• DISTILLATION: Most distilling equipment is bulky and expensive, but if you own a juicer it can be used to distill small quantities of water for emergencies. The impurities would remain in the bottom part of the juicer, while the distilled water could come from the juicing hose. Fill the bottom reservoir with water, add the middle section, and skip the perforated basket t hat usually holds the fruit. Place the lid on the second section and boil until you have distilled 2/3 of the water you put in the reservoir. Empty and repeat of necessary. Be careful, because the juicer will become hot like any pan on the stove, and it is easy to get burned.
• BLEACH: Use any brand of 5.25%sodium hypochlorite. BE SURE HYPOCHLORITE IS THE ONLY ACTIVE INGREDIENT. SKIP THE FRAGRANT BLEACH. Using the following chart, add the chlorine solution to the water. Mix by stirring or shaking the container. Allow to stand 30 minutes. The water should have a distinct chlorine taste or smell. If this smell is not present, add a 2^nd dose of the solution to the water and let stand for at least 15 minutes more. The taste/smell of chlorine in treated water is a sign of safety.

Amount of water	Water condition	Amount of bleach
1 Quart	Clear cloudy	2 drops 4 drops
½ gallon	Clear cloudy	4 drops 8 drops
1 gallon	Clear cloudy	8 drops 16 drops
5 gallons	Clear cloudy	½ tsp 1 tsp

• IODINE : 2% tincture of iodine can be used to purify small quantities of water. Stir thoroughly. The taste is not exactly delightful, but the water is safe to use. Follow the chart below:

Amount of water	Water condition	Drops of Iodine
1 Quart	Clear cloudy	3 drops 6 drops
1/2 gallon	Clear cloudy	6 drops 12 drops
1 gallon	Clear cloudy	12 drops 24 drops

Iodine tabs (found in the camping section at your sporting good store, Wal Mart..etc.) will have directions on their bottles.

What works for you?   Do you have an information that needs to be added?  How do you store water and filtration?

Teresa is a widow, with 4 children, who has experience with storing water in the wrong kind of plastic jugs. It wasn’t pretty.  Her food storage is building, and is always on the lookout for a good deal.  You can find her at Wockenflock Daze.

Putting on the Whole Armor of God

One of my favorite FHE lessons comes from Ephesians 6:10-17

10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11   Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil,
12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against power, against the rules of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13  Therefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14  Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15  And your feed shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

• You can start out discussing this FHE with the conditions of the world, the subtle tools of Satan in these latter days,and that we are not left alone to fend for ourselves against these things. We have the pieces of the Armor of God to protect us, but we must be willing to wear them.

Discuss with your family the meaning of each piece of the armor:

• Loins girt with truth-  seeking truth of all things, being virtuous,chaste
• Breastplate of righteousness-this piece covers our heart and symbolizes keeping righteousness in our heart
• Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace-this piece covers feet and shins, which are on the floor as we pray.  Prayer is how we prepare ourselves for our daily lives, communicate with the Lord.
• Shield of Faith-when we maintain our faith or strengthen our faith the Lord, build our testimony, we can withstand anything Satan can send our way.
• Helmet of Salvation-this covers our head, helping us to remember what we allow into our minds
• Sword of the Spirit –which is the word of God and cuts through falsehoods, lies and untruths

If you wish, use the printouts of the dolls and armor pieces, found here for the body, and then here for the armor, for discussing each piece as a visual.  One for each child works well, coloring each piece as you discuss it, then gluing them in place.  We made a poster in our family that has been up for years (see the worn, well traveled poster at the top of this post)

Additionally, if you have it, you can dress a child up in pieces of costume armor, discussing each part as you go (improvise where you need to). And the best part is when the rest of the family gets to throw” fiery darts” (red paper airplanes or simply, crumpled red papers) while the child uses any piece of the armor to knock it away.  The people throwing the fiery darts call out some tool Satan might use to tempt them, such as, disobedience, poor choices, lying, bad TV shows, etc.  It’s great to watch our Latter-day warrior bat them away.

Another armor of God object lesson is to show what happens if we remove our armor, even piece by piece.  You’ll need:

• 2 oranges
• large clear glass bowl, or a  truffle bowl or 2 clear pitcher
• water

Fill your containers with enough water so that the oranges are floating well above the bottom of the container/s.  They float because they are protected by the peel, which can be likened unto the armor of God. 

Begin to remove the peel, one piece at a time, discussing which piece of armor might come off, what someone might do to remove it, then place the orange back in the bowl.

That first time, depending on how small a piece has been removed, it may float at the same level as the unpeeled orange, but you will find that as you continue to remove it piece by piece and place it back in the bowl each time, it sinks lower and lower…..
Until the peel is completely removed and the orange is resting on the bottom.

You’ve made your point, the impact is made and they remember this one.

Serve the oranges for FHE snack.

Teresa is a mom to 4 Latter-day Warriors, who wear their armor proudly.  You can find their family goings on and a few homeschool activities at Wockenflock Daze.

Pumpkin Vase

I forget where I came across this idea, but I loved it and make this eyery year now.

You scoop out the insides of a pumpkin, insert a foam semi circle, and arrange your favorite fall  flowers. 

A woman was asked what it was like to be baptized and she said something like, “It’s like being a pumpkin. Jesus opens you up,scoops out all the yucky stuff, puts a smile on your face and places  a wonderful, glowing light inside.”

Peter Pan and his Shadow

Patrick and his friend Troy had a Masquerade dance to attend, and Troy’s mom thought it would be fun for the two of them to go as Peter Pan and his Shadow. She did a great job putting their costumes together.  Just look at them!!

They took a prize, of course.  They went about, synchronized in all they did, asked girls to dance, speaking in unison as they asked, holding a hand out to them as they asked, they walked in unison, ate in unison, stood alike….But Patrick couldn’t scratch.  Troy couldn’t scratch because his makeup would rub off.

Katie Rocks On!

Katie’s latest creations…

The fish is going to be  my Christmas gift…….  *;-.)

Our Tin Can Pumpkins

 

I found these in a newspaper magazine insert and loved them!!

You need:  cans of varying sizes, Orange spray paint, Newspaper for work area protection, hammer, nail, wire for handle, candles and a sense of fun.

• We used one of really big cans that used to hold food storage amounts of rice, a large baked beans can, and two 16-oz cans. 
• We washed them out, dried them,
• then flattened any sharp edges.
• Patrick spray painted them Pumpkin Orange, then..
• poked holes in them using a hammer and a nail. He stuffed the cans with logs and sticks to hold their shape while he made the holes. 
• Two holes are make in the sides, near the rims, to…
• fasten a wire handle, twisted for fun design.  I used a lighter gauge wire, but you can use a heavier gauge.

Aren’t these great?!  I put a votive candle inside a glass votive cup for the two larger cans and used tea lights for the smaller sized.