Academic subjects, such as English, Math, Araling Panlipunan, and Filipino are a very important part of any curriculum because they are the competencies that all students need to learn. However, Work Education/Home Economics is a crucial part of any curriculum because it teaches skills children/students need to face the challenges of everyday life.
Academic subjects can be taught in a straightforward manner, even in homeschooling, due to the presence of textbooks. However, teaching Work Education/Home Economics is more flexible and less straightforward, due to its practical nature. However, it becomes more fun to learn. So, dear parents, here are some ways on how to incorporate Work Education/Home Economics when homeschooling your kids.
Get Them Involved in Chores
The beauty of incorporating Work Education in homeschooling is that it can be done anytime, since there is a lot to be done in the house. For example, formal Work Education/Home Economics curricula focus on cooking, sewing, and/or woodworking. However, when homeschooling, the entire house can be the classroom, so you can include things normally not included in Home Economics/Work Education, like doing laundry, changing a light bulb, and even replacing a flat tire. So, you can incorporate Work Education while homeschooling by getting the kids involved in the chores. This will allow them to see the actual relevance of Home Economics in their daily lives.
Get out of the House
Ironically, sometimes the best way to homeschool is to get the kids out of the house. This is because they will get exposed to real life situations, like actual flat tires, car battery problems, and even pottery making. So, the best way to homeschool, at least as far as Work Education is concerned, is to go around town. Take the kids to pottery places, car repair shops, and even wood-crafting shops. Also, if anything goes wrong, especially with your vehicle, you can show them how to find solutions in actual situations.
Give Them the Freedom to Cook
Cooking is a very important skill in Home Economics/Work Education, since it is something we need to do to survive, except for those who eat nothing but sashimi all day long. So, use the freedom homeschooling gives you to allow your kids to explore in the kitchen. Let them cook fried chicken, fried rice, and even their own version of Sweet Inspiration’s Mongolian Barbecue. Just be there to supervise them, for no reasonable parent would want accidents in the kitchen. However, please encourage them not to be afraid of hot oil, sharp knives, and boiling water. After all, they will need these skills one day.
Show Them How to Repair Electronics
In this day and age, it is impossible to escape electronic gadgets. However, it also follows that our gadgets will break one way or another, either due to wear and tear, or due to sloppiness. So, dear parents, feel free to teach the kids how to repair damaged electronics, or to cobble together a working desktop computer out of off-the-shelf parts. Who knows, maybe they can turn this lesson into a source of income, or even their own business!
Have Fun!
In the end, the beauty of having Home Economics/Work Education when homeschooling the kids is that it becomes more flexible, for you can even formulate a more practical curriculum. So, dear parents, it is indeed a great idea to incorporate Work Education/Home Economics when homeschooling your kids, because they will learn a lot about practical things. After all, they will need these skills when they venture out into the world.