Reading on the unschooling post about someone not knowing anything about cooking, I thought about the teaching of simple skills that I learned as a kid.
I did not sign DD up for girl scouts or what the opening group was. It is not popular here. When I think back to my own experience with the group thing, that was very popular in my childhood, is where you learned some things that were, not lifesaving, but good things to learn. Practical things.
I am not a seamstress but I can repair a lost button, a rip. It seems little, but I remember doing things as a kid that DD doesn't do. I went through a period of embroidery with the neighborhood kids, and a period of knitting. I wouldn't try knitting mitts any time soon but I understand what it is to knit. I can build a shelf, not good enough to be on the Today show but simple things that can be needed in day-to-day life. Especially as a college student that loses a button on a sweater. I look on DD's life and wonder about practical skills she isn't getting. Maybe I am off topic on unschooling so before I post, I am going to cut and paste this on a new topic.
About regular life skills. Is your kid gettin' any? Maybe it is because we live in NYC. Maybe she would learn to take care of a garden or mow the lawn or clean the eavestrough if we lived in the suburbs. Install new faucets, put together shelves. Little things that I took for granted. But being able to build something with hammer and screwdrivers.
Takes me to a story about DH. I had gotten new drapes and DH decided to put up the hardware. We are talkin' 3 rooms. Each time, he is measuring but doesn't use the leveler. Each time, they are slightly off. As relationships go, you pick your fights and I lived with slightly off drapes in 3 rooms but it bugged me that he didn't learn that skill.
I hope that DD learns how to do the basic stuff, even with learning Mandarin, accelerated math, chess and piano.
I think that basic skills are part of the big picture and if you don't have an understanding of basic skills in various areas, you lose out. I met a man who described his job but I questioned him and asked if he was a boilermaker. He was surprised that I knew the term, but I came from a petrochemical town. I understand trade defintions. Simple, but you never know what you need in life. Understanding trades helped me leap in my Wall Street gig. I covered the Automobile industry and I was only 26 leading a global team because I just got what unions were really about and trades and the people that worked in them. OK not the only thing that made me good at the job but leveraged my understanding.
I am reading "The Element". Where passion meets talent. Maybe our gifted kid is an amazing philosopher. Does he/she get what he/she needs to become someone who writes books, builds a consulting business that leverages his passion and talent?
Basic skills help you whatever your path. Just because you build it, they will not come. Not today.
I am wondering if the current generation, along with not spanking our kids (though I would seriously like to on occastion) don't give our kids enough basic skills. Maybe it is just me.
Ren
