Summer – yay! It’s a great time to for lots of things – more down time, more outdoor time, travel, barbecues, and picnics. It’s also an excellent time to emphasize some skills that are hard to give much attention to during the busy school year. While doing that, it can be the perfect time to adjust routines and make room for new responsibilities as children grow.
In this post, we’ll cover a bunch of life and household management skills that are worth focusing on during this season when family time is a little freer.
Daily Routine
Making beds, brushing teeth, straightening up personal spaces and common spaces
Do your children have a daily routine that they take ownership of? Establishing a wake-up routine can go a long way toward making mornings more peaceful and productive! Summer is a great time to establish these practices (if you don't already have them) or evaluate them (if you do have them).
During the summer, when mornings are a little less hectic, you may want to observe your child executing her responsibilities. She may have known how to brush her teeth for years, but is she doing a thorough job? Her room may be pretty neat, but is she tossing toys in a giant pile in the closet? There may be some room for growth, and the summer can be a good time to reestablish standards and also add new responsibilities if your child is ready.
Table Manners
chewing quietly with lips closed, saying please and thank-you, asking for things to be passed rather than reaching, showing thanks for the food provided and the people who have prepared it
Manners are an important way to show the value and importance of the people around us. Our good manners help make us a blessing to others. When teaching the basics of good manners, it’s helpful to acquaint your children with polite practices and also emphasize the reasons WHY they matter!
Meal Clean-up
clearing the table, putting away condiments, washing dishes, loading the dishwasher, wiping countertops, taking out the trash
Everyone aged two and up can contribute to cleaning up the kitchen after eating. After a family meal, teach children to jump in and help, taking initiative to do their part in getting the job done. Children can also work on cleaning up after themselves after breakfast and lunch. In our house, we had to regularly revisit the importance of getting dirty breakfast and lunch dishes into the dishwasher, not just placed in the sink for someone else to clean up. Take advantage of the summer lull to hone these skills!
Time Management
It's good to talk to your child about the planning required to be on time. If he is ready, you can start to transfer some of the ownership to him to make sure things are done on time (without rushing at the last minute). If you have somewhere to be, involve your child in determining how waking up, personal care, and transportation line up to to ensure arrival on time.
Budgeting
If your child is mature enough, you can talk to him about your family budget, giving as many financial details as you are comfortable with. Most importantly, help your child understand that there is a certain amount of money coming in each month and that much of it is committed to particular obligations (rent/mortgage, food, insurance, transportation, tuition, etc.). Sometimes, a family's income can sound like a huge amount to a young person - so much so it seems like there must be lots of excess cash to spend! It's helpful for them to gain understanding about how much the things in your family life actually cost.
Make sure to explain the importance of saving, especially for emergencies and retirement but also for specific things you are planning for the future. You can go further and explain the importance of establishing and maintaining good credit. Another tip - make sure your child takes a personal finance class in high school!
Lastly, when talking about money, it's great to talk about your values related to giving. Tithing, supporting local or global charities, and meeting needs that God brings to your attention through your church or neighborhood are important aspects of using our resources wisely. Your children will likely grow up with godly generosity as a core value if it has been a regular practice in your family.
Basic Cooking
Summer is a great time to enjoy some cooking projects. Besides making something fun like cookies, help your child learn to cook some basic meal components like eggs and pasta. Then, go as far beyond that as you both desire!
By the middle of high school (earlier is great!), it’s good to aim for your child to have the basic skills needed to prepare a decent meal for himself and a sibling or friend or two.
Basic Nutrition
While we’re on the topic of food, it’s so important to teach children basic information about nourishing their bodies. My children made their own lunches from an early age (kindergarten or first grade). They were required to have a protein and some fruit or veggies. (I never had to “require” carbs. One of mine would have made entire meals of only carbs, if allowed!) But I did limit their options to healthy ones and then have them assemble their lunches each day.
Whatever approach you take, teaching your child about the connection between good food choices and health and energy will bless them for the decades to come!
Laundry and Clothing Care
sorting, washing, drying, folding
Laundry is a good activity to do in a relaxed way with some good music in the background. You can include your children in the processes while also talking about how to keep clothes looking nice and how to do simple repairs. Also (and this is true even for older kids), they can probably use a reminder about what needs to be washed after each wearing (socks, underwear, etc.) and what can be hung up and worn again.
Family Emergency Plan
Does each child know her home address, Mom and Dad’s phone numbers, and what to do in an emergency? It’s good to review all this information at least once per year. Review how to handle a fire, a tornado, or an intruder, and talk about what your child should do if she finds herself in an unsafe or uncomfortable situation while away from home.
Housecleaning
There is a lot to talk about here, so we will devote next week’s blog post to this!
We've covered many things! It's helpful to realize that you don't have to make an elaborate plan to pass on life skills, but just create space for a little more training as you do everyday things.
In addition to all the things in this post, when children are around twelve and above, it’s wise to include them more in the processes of running the house. For instance, when you shut off the water supply as you leave on vacation, show your child how to do that and why it’s important.
There are so many things to learn! If we are intentional to pass them on little-by-little, we equip our children to live well independently. The time for that will be here before you know it!
It may seem like a lot, but all these things are a part of life! It’s great to help your child understand that his attitude goes a long way toward making daily tasks a drudgery or a joyful contribution to an orderly household that blesses everyone in it. A huge key to success is setting up systems and routines that work well for you all. With all the family members willingly doing their part, the household runs smoothly and no one bears more weight than others. The mutual support leads to a peaceful environment, which is a blessing to all!
Xo,
Christie
Check out Savvy's post about growing your child's cleaning skills!
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