I think a lot of parents are overwhelmed with homework and extracurriculars and don't teach this stuff. It is a little extra work all the time to teach these things than it would be to just do them ourselves. So many parents are strapped for energy and time, and just too exhausted or preoccupied to do it.
We are highly oriented to life skills, partly because we do cub scouts and that is essentially a life skills curriculum, and partly because we think it's important to be self-sufficient. Our kids are learning to cook, sew on a button, hammer a nail, do laundry (eldest is 8). When they are a little bigger we will work on basic plumbing and a little carpentry; we are waiting to paint their rooms until they are ready to help, so they'll know how.
What I wish we had time and energy for is the taking apart of toasters and such experimental activities-- we just don't. Everybody has a limit, I guess.
DeeDee
