We have really enjoyed using Gather Round for the bulk of our group learning at home. Our main focus had been going through history with them, but we have enjoyed some units on the side as well. It helps break things up because as much as I love history now, I did not before. I do not want the girls to feel the same boredom by not taking a break from it. Personally, this curriculum is three thousand more times exciting than reading and highlighting textbooks, but might as well keep it light when we can. Here are our thoughts and review of Life Skills .
Life skills started out with them rating themselves on skills that they thought they had. It also went over executive functions and how regulating emotions, following through, making decisions, planning organizing and always learning and improvement were important lessons. They also rated themselves on how they thought they were doing at these tasks. We covered SMART goals and so much more before we even tackled the skills around the house.
I loved that this unit brought them throughout the house. We started in the kitchen with a tour and a safety lesson on the various tools within the kitchen. We also learned how to use the tool and have to write down the steps to use them.
We stayed in the kitchen to learn how to plan and prep a meal. Each one picked a recipe to prepare. They had to look and see what was available in the home already and make a list for the ingredients that they needed. They had to shop and then they had to cook. Evie made a delicious five cheese ziti. It is a recipe that we have adopted into a regular rotation since. Isla made a quick homemade ramen.
Some other skills they learned were how to cut an onion for Evie and an avocado for Isla. We had a fridge inspection, which was both ick but really helpful for me. They went through every shelf, and the freezer and had to inspect the food’s expiration dates. Overall, it’s not normally too terrible, except of course all those random condiment-type containers that were used for a recipe and then completely forgotten about. I received a wonderfully cleaned fridge, and later pantry cabinets thanks to their unit. This was definitely needed because some things had disappeared into the corner forgotten.
They also covered safe food handling and how long different foods can be left out.
After the kitchen, they traveled to the laundry room. Both girls are rather familiar with this skill, but we did learn about reading labels. We also covered what kitchens and laundry were like in history.
The bathroom!!!! Thank goodness for the bathroom unit. I covered the steps to cleaning the bathroom, which they wrote down. They then completed this task on their own. It has since become their permanent chore. I did change it from them doing it together to them alternating turns to clean their bathroom. There was always some bickering about the way the other one did different tasks. It seems like and easy fix to take turns, and I personally love it. There girls have taken on various responsibilities over the years, but I don’t know why I never bothered with this room before. There is some level of control that was not ready to give up until I saw it.
Outdoors
Life skills were not limited to inside the house. Together we went through the garage to find where various tools were in case they were needed. Some basic plumbing skills were covered and we found the tools needed to unclog a drain. The girls had to find the breaker box. Then I showed them how to turn off the electricity or how to fix a tripped breaker.
We went through the yard and learned the tools to water and cut the grass as well. We covered the trash and recycling days for out neighborhood as well.
We covered safety and made evacuation plans for a fire or any other home emergency. We have done this a few times, but it was a great refresher. Also a reminder of our address and phone numbers. The safety plan extended past the house to being picked up at events and having code words if something other than a parent came to get them from a class. Kidnapping and human trafficking were discussed so they would be aware of suspicious activity. Our biggest takeaway was, that if you are not with your trusted adult, always stay in a group of friends.
Safety was also covered in the matter of first aid. There were lots of ways to help someone who was hurt. The funniest activity was to give CPR to a pillow. I explained how much softer a pillow was, and one day I would like them to take a CPR class with a real dummy. They still were able to experience the movement that CPR requires.
The girls were old enough to cover all the other topics thus far, and they added them to their skills. There was also travel prep and packing, which tied right into us taking a vacation.
The curriculum did not stop there. We talked about getting their first job and driving!!
One of the skills for driving was filling out a form for their vehicle registration. I think this is a skill that is not being taught these days. Sure, some forms have gone digital, but there are still paper forms out there for applications and registrations. We did a lesson from inside the car, showing all the information on the dash, as well as the gears. As they were only 10 and 6, we did not do a driving lesson. It would be a great addition to anyone who has a teen that was close to driving age. Perhaps I will need to pull out this lesson in a few more years.
Getting a job happened to line up very closely with a homeschool craft sale I was organizing with our homeschool enrichment group. Evie already had some entrepreneurial experience with her crochet bees that she has sold at a few of my events. Isla is pretty new, so she had to come up with a product, make it, price it, and be there to sell it. She decided on melted crayon shapes and little bunnies because it was close to easter. They brought their wares to the craft fair and did well with their sales. They did another one 6 months later. Evie learned how to make a new item because many classmates had bought her first bees the last time. The next time she had bees and octopus. Isla loved the molds from last time, but this time she made holiday-scented soaps with our molds, as well as pinecone Christmas trees.
This was an extension for us. Getting a job is an option, but selling goods or providing a service is another way to earn money. We will have another sale next year, and I am curious about what they will add or change.
There were many more skills that were covered that I did not mention and included other subjects. There were things like making a learning reel, writing a letter, and applying for a passport. I highly recommend this unit for preparing children for independence and adulthood. It can be done at any age. No need to wait until they are nearly there. Some of these skills can start early and be fostered throughout the year. One of my favorite Gather Round Units.
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