Do you have an organized and all-inclusive system for teaching your children life skills? If you do, you probably do not need to read Life Skills for Kids by Christine M. Field. However, if you are like me, your children will have gaps in their training for living in the real world. Life Skills for Kids deals with time and space organization, healthy lifestyle skills, decision-making, money management, spiritual habits, the art of celebrating life, people skills (which is my favorite chapter), and more. Each chapter begins with a Maxim of Maturity (a one or two sentence overview of the chapter) and a list of transferable skills. The Maxim of Maturity in Chapter 2, “People Skills: Getting Along and Resolving Conflict,” states, “Children must learn to get along with others and to resolve and manage conflict on their own. This starts at home with parents and siblings.” The transferable skills in Chapter 8, “Money, Money: Can You Handle It?” are: ability to set goals and priorities, self-discipline, keeping accurate financial records, managing a budget, establishing and maintaining accounting (accountability) systems, ability to compile financial information, interpreting financial reports, and monitoring cash flow. At the end of each chapter is a helpful Life Skills Checklist, which is especially useful for readers who read quickly over chapters. In Chapter 9, “Healthy Habits: Self-Care Skills for Your One and Only Body,” the Life Skills Checklist asks: have our children developed good hygiene habits?, do we encourage a healthy body image?, have we examined our family’s diet?, and do we have an honest, forthright plan for puberty and sexual education discussions? Mrs. Field has written a sensible book for equipping children to live in the real world. To get the most out of Life Skills for Kids read the whole book once through and then work on the chapters according to your child’s needs. Life Skills for Kids is not a quick fix for an inadequately trained child, but it is a full spectrum course for teaching the skills we all need as adults. To learn more about Life Skills for Kids, visit The Home Field Advantage web site at www.HomeFieldAdvantage.org.
-- Product Review by: Tina Rice, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
Here another Life Skills for Kids review!
Every homeschooler wonders sometimes if her children are going to be able to get along in the real world someday. This book, Life Skills for Kids by Christine M. Field, is just the ticket to make sure your kids know the practical skills beyond academics that everyone ought to know. Life Skills gives practical ways to teach money management, cooking and cleaning skills, time management, and so much more. But it doesn't stop there. Going beyond the areas we would normally think of, Life Skills tells us how to teach our children to get along with others, make good decisions, and make God the center of their lives. Covering 14 skill areas in all, plus an appendix of additional resources, Life Skills is a wonderful resource for any parent. Be sure to check out author Christine Field's website at www.homefieldadvantage.com.
-- Product Review by: Heather King, Reader, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
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