Teach Your Children the HomeArts

Teaching your children the basics of homearts will stand them in good stead when the times comes that they must go out into the world.  Knowing how to care for themselves, their belongings and their surroundings will never be a bad thing and could turn into a career (think gourmet chef, inventor of fabulous cleaning tool, crafter).

The holidays are a wonderful time to teach your children bits and pieces of the homearts. Cooking, cleaning, and even crafts come into play with the various parties, attending and giving.

If your child is young they will relish in the time spent with mom no matter the activity. The older child, who may not be so used to this extra togetherness, may take a little bit to convince but choose the activity wisely and you will find them looking forward to the chosen chore I mean activity.

Cooking: Are you hosting a dinner party? This is the perfect time to work with your children on planning a menu, making a shopping list and preparing various dishes. Children are more likely to eat what they have helped to prepare. We started early having our two year old help with the turkey brining and stuffing making. At six she’s an old hand in the kitchen now. Have your child help you fill the shopping cart and read from the list as you shop. Watch cooking shows together to find a great dish to create.

Cleaning: Make it game. Again young children are easier on the cleaning because they think it’s fun. Work in the same room together. Young children can dust and use hand vacs. They can pile things together and help to make things look neat. Don’t make the first cleaning chore you give your child the bathroom. This will turn them off of cleaning forever. Boys may like something they can scrub the living daylights out of such as a sink.

Crafting: Does your child like crafting? Have them make the decorations for say the dinner table. If you’re worried about how it all will look buy a kit they can put together with minimal help. Find a simple craft your child can do to make nice gifts. Pencil holders, picture frames, easy items you can glue. When your child finds a craft they enjoy and grow in foster that growth by encouraging them and finding uses for the items they create.