Take advantage of the moment

Life Skills. Do you want to know how many times I have intended on working on one life skill or another with the big girls only to fail to implement it? Do you know how many "curriculum helps" I've purchased because I "knew that this would help me to actually get the ball rolling!" And yet, we've done NONE of what I had planned or wanted to.

So, why am I even participating in this Blog Cruise if I've failed at it so many times? Oh, good question. I'll tell ya. I'm participating because we do "do" life skills. Yeah, I know, sounds contradictory doesn't it? But let me tell you something, all of those things that I had "intentions" on doing or tried to "plan" never materialized but my kids learn life skills as life...get this now...is happening. For us I have accidentally found that the best way to practice life skills is by taking advantage of the moment.

My kids work on Cooking Skills by taking turns helping me prepare a meal. We talk about everything, I explain to them why we are doing what we are doing as we go, we talk about the ingredients; types of flour we use, why it's applesauce instead of oil etc, etc. They learn to safely chop veggies and crack eggs-and then immediately wash their hands. They learn SO MUCH because we have to eat so why not have one of them helping me. No lesson plans needed, just come on in the kitchen.

They can all (except for Littlest) make their own sandwiches, pour their own drinks and set the table - properly (because we've taught that too while preparing for suppers in the past) without me. This has happened because they eventually got tired of waiting on me and were so hungry that they just prepared the sandwiches themselves.

The girls have both sewn their own pair of culottes (think full gouchoes) because they wanted to. (I had to force myself to put the sewing curriculum I had purchased away because they didn't want to make what was in there.)

The girls can change diapers because they've seen me do it so often and I've taught them how to do it, because hey, the diapers were already dirty, may as well take advantage of the moment.

I purchased a latch hook kit for each of them last year. I tried to make completing them part of their school work. We had a set "handicraft time" that we NEVER GOT TO! Okay, maybe two or three times. But within the last couple of weeks that have both pulled those kits out again and started to work on them all over. They became interested so they decided to work on them.

Is there a lot more that I would like to have taught them or have them experience? Oh yes and yes!!!! But in this season of my life (little ones and pregnancy) I can only accomplish so much. I have to realize that and not be hard on myself for the things that I want to do but don't can't do. We do the necessary and as life happens whether it be in the kitchen, at the table or on the floor changing a baby we take advantage of the moment and teach our children "life skills". If we didn't do that, then we would never get to any of it.

I wish that I had something more profound to tell you. I wish that I knew of a "secret formula" for getting accomplished all that you want to. I wish that I were one of those ladies that just has it all together and can fit in every last subject every single day and still have supper on the table, brownies in the oven and perfect hair...and home by the time Daddy arrives in the evening; greeted by all 15 kids! :)

But, I don't and I can't however I know that someday I will have more time to do more of the things that my heart truly desires to do with my children. Until then we (yes, I'm going to say it again) take advantage of the moment. That's how we implement life skills.

Click on the link above to read what my other Crew Members have to say about Life Skills. I know that I will and who knows, maybe there's a revelation out there, waiting just for lil' ol' me!

Thanks for stopping by.

Lovin' Learnin'