<p>“I’m surprised (well not really, this is CC after all) at the judgmental tone in some of these posts. So glad that <em>your</em> kids learned everything they need to know from their parents and that <em>you</em> feel it should be a parents’ job to teach them. Glad that works for you. Maybe it doesn’t work for others though, and really, it’s not your place to tell other people how their kids should learn certain things.”</p>
<p>It is our place to say what we want our kids to learn in high school and college. I think that taking courses that teach how to do laundry and to read leases would be a waste of my kids’ time, and I have the right to say that. I also believe that having such courses would be a waste of my tax dollars. Right now, essential courses are being cut due to school systems’ not having funds. I certainly aren’t going to support courses about life skills when things like summer school academics have been cut in my district.</p>
<p>I do support sex education because – even though I taught my kids sex education-- the fact that many parents don’t do that means that I – the taxpayer – may have to bear the costs of unwanted children and of medical care due to the spread of STDs. Lack of sex education results in problems for society in general, not just the individuals who get pregnant or get diseases. The same can’t be said of not knowing how to do laundry.</p>
<p>I agree and think the point is that such a class doesn’t have need to be required. Some kids learn this stuff at home and others don’t. For those that manage somehow to teach their kids basic life skills the idea of a class required feels like a waste of scace public school money. Frankly, yes, I don’t think we need sex ed as a required class either, although in our system it’s integrated into the mandatory phys ed classes so I’m OK with that although personally I think the percentage of kids that could use a few laps around the gym instead of a movie about STDs is probably a better use of $$.</p>
<p>RtoR–It’s my understanding that the topic of this thread is that these skills should be taught in high schools. Thus, it’s not the “pro-let-the-parents-teach-it” commentors who are budding in to how others do things, it’s the “pro-there-should-be-a-course” folks. I’m with the camp that it’s not the schools’ job to teach those things, and I wouldn’t have wanted my kids’ time spent that way, and I worry about scarce tax dollars spread farther, thinning out everything else. That’s not judmental; that’s protective.</p>
<p>I agree with those who say that the skills a kid needs that he/she doesn’t learn at home, can be learned in various ways when needed. My D didn’t learn how to read a lease in HS or home, but she did learn how to read, and to think critically. She’s done fine with several leases. Kids learn taxes when they have to do them; we didn’t teach that ahead of time, but were happy to answer questions when that came up. They learn cooking skills as need arises. Voting–they accompanied us into the voting booths since they could walk. etc. etc. My S learned how to tie a tie from the Internet when he had a band concert my H was away for (I’m not good at it myself.) This was at least ten years ago.</p>
<p>My point is that no, we didn’t teach them everything, but every parent has taught them some things. Random courses will be unlikely to fill the right holes, especially if the student at that time can’t or doesn’t need that particular skill. They’re better learned when they will be used.</p>
<p>It ABSOLUTELY is my place to opine and vote on what all kids should learn in public schools. Indeed, that is the point of local boards of education!.</p>
<p>But the simple fact is that with a full load of honors/AP and ECs, such a class would be considered a “joke” by the kids, and not be taken seriously. Heck, our district has been mandating a health class for years, and the board polled the student members and were shocked (“shocked”) to find out that NO student even cared. Since it’s not a college prep course – only HS grad credit, which few kids need – the course was a total waste of time and teaching resources. Why add to it?</p>
<p>THats too bad bluebayou- at Ds high school, I think they had health in 9th grade, when they were still young enough to pay attention to adults. It seemed like a valuable course- the assignments made them give a lot of thought to their own values and resources .
Not only was physical health discussed but its impact on emotional and mental health.
My daughter at least took it seriously and I think it helped that the instructor was fairly young and well liked ( he was also one of her coaches)</p>
<p>I think some kind of Life Skills seminar should be taught every year during high school…starting the summer before freshmen year of HS…each seminar would “build” on the previous. It could take place either the first few days of school or the last few days of school…or during any “short week” during the school year when holidays cut the week short (like Thanksgiving week).</p>
<p>I haven’t read this whole thread, so this suggestion may have already been mentioned…</p>
<p>One seminar could be focused on money, earning, saving, banking, etc…</p>
<p>One seminar coud be focused on some basic “home skills” - laundry, cleaning, etc…</p>
<p>One seminar could be focused on being “resourceful” when faced with a variety of problems, risk taking, risk management.</p>
<p>One seminar could be focused on health issues, making healthy choices, and addictions.</p>
<p>didn’t say it could not be valuable, but it’s just like the online alcohol courses that college frosh take – a 99% waste of money and resources. The only thing of value is that it gives the college some legal protection.</p>
<p>I wish they’d take a few days and do one of the Dave Ramsey courses. I’m pretty sure I’ve extolled his philosophy to my own kids, but it wouldn’t hurt to hear it from the horse’s mouth :-).</p>
<p>With a high school math curriculum that requires (yes, requires!) the repetition of HALF the material in one course with the next course in the sequence for a particular set of courses, thus wasting HALF my son’s instructional time in the year-long second course, I do not want public school wasting any more of my son’s classroom time, and I’m sorry, but a seminar on how to do laundry and cook, which I do consider important life skills, is not something I want the high school to mandate. Ugh.</p>
<p>I was the poster several pages back whose son called to ask where the stamp goes on the envelope. I really think that sometimes that is just their way of calling and letting us know that they still need us. If we were unavailable when they called, they would figure it out, they are smart enought to get into the school, they are smart enough to figure out how to do laundry Same with the poster’s whose daughter’s keys fell down the elevator, if Mom was not there when she called, she would have figured it out. She just probably needed some “Mom sympathy” :-)</p>
<p>There are so many resources on the campus - other students, RAs, professors, etc. that they can ask someone just about any question and somebody, somewhere can get the answer. Not to mention google. The information is out there, it just is not a subsitute for hearing Mom (or Dad’s) voice. I am glad! I love it when my son calls, and I will gladly tell him where the stamp goes on an envelope 100 times, all the while knowing darned well if I did not tell him, he would find a way to figure it out. I still think he was yanking my chain however ;-)</p>
<p>I absolutely agree with the above poster. I would hate to see our schools mandated to teach classes on how to do laundry, etc. Optonal classes - whatever, but not mandated. For some kids, those with major EC committments, just getting in all of the required courses for top universities can leave no room for more courses, or elevtives (it did for my son). </p>
<p>Now the Dave Ramsey comment, I could not agree with more. Not Dave Ramsey’s methods exactly, but the general money management concept: Spend < you earn. Unfortunately or fortunately, I think that is taught at home by example and a school course would have no impact. </p>
<p>I love to hear about the questions that kids call with…cracks me up. Hope more examples are posted.</p>
<p>“I do not want public school wasting any more of my son’s classroom time”</p>
<p>Does your son have AP courses? Do they continue to teach after the AP exams? Ours do not. They either to some type of busy-work, watch movies or cover some ‘fun’ subjects under the general course topic.</p>
<p>I think this is a great idea. It really troubles me that kids aren’t taught these basic life lessons. We have a serious problem when kids don’t know how to open a savings account or balance a checkbook. If kids are borrowing money for college then they need to understand interest rates, debt, credit scores, and more. Otherwise, loans and other forms of debt are not “real” enough. </p>
<p>The sooner they learn how to deal with money, the fewer expensive mistakes they will make. I work as an editor for a print mag & website called youngmoney dot com - our whole mission is to teach young people about money. We are still providing our magazine free to college campuses, and of course our website, but we’re trying to move beyond just education and move into actually changing behavior. I’m not sure that just providing the education is enough. It might just go in one ear and right out the other. We’ve launched a financial literacy quiz that offers incentives (like $25 in a new account) just for taking it (youngmoney dot com/challenge) and it can help pinpoint the areas where your kids need help. </p>
<p>I’m really interested in hearing other ideas of how we can actually teach young people AND help them change behavior. We’re willing to try almost anything. It’s hard to get schools to do things. In fact, it’s hard to get any institution to change. Does anyone here think that their kids would take a free online life skills class? Maybe with webinars and print out worksheets? Or do you think that would just be a waste of time?</p>
<p>I would agree that in a perfect world kids would learn life skills at home.
However… we teach " sex ed" or at least attempt to, because those things aren’t taught at home & school may be the only place where they get a chance to learn basic health precautions.
I like that in American Govt, some schools have students participate in local political campaigns. I think logic and reasoning are basic skills that we need to place more emphasis on in school rather than just remembering and regurgitating facts, to become more aware and involved citizens.</p>
<p>But really for instance at my Ds school- senior year she only had four classes spring semester. Freshman have six classes, but many seniors have met virtually all the district graduation requirements, and fewer classes are offered that they need.</p>
<p>My daughter who attended private school, had seven classes each term, still didn’t have any vocational classes though, unless theatre or music is considered vocational.
( which it used to be in some schools)</p>
<p>I had a " Survival" class in high school. We were required to plan a wedding ( ?), change a tire, look for an apartment and shop for groceries. I think it was a good class- but also an easy A. It could have just as easily been offered in junior high, when we were more impressionable.</p>
<p>The Life Skills wouldn’t have to involve much (if any) classroom time…it could be a summer requirement done at home and turned in on the first day of fall class.</p>
<p>One summer could be financial in nature…open a bank account, set up a budget</p>
<p>One summer could be…learn some basic cleaning and laundry and sewing on a button (have parents sign that kid did the work).</p>
<p>One summer could be…health info…maybe an assigned health book to read with a Q/A to do afterwards.</p>
<p>Not any more; he dropped out of high school after his sophomore year to attend college.</p>
<p>And so what if he does have AP courses? What, only AP students need to be taught that they should read documents before signing them? How to fold shirts? Balance a checkbook? Cook lentils?</p>
<p>And even if only AP students need this knowledge, how does the scheduling work? If my kid were still in high school, he’d be taking AP Calc, AP Physics, AP Latin, AP English of one flavor or another, and AP US History. After the AP exams, does he get laundry in AP Calc, leases in AP Physics, and check accounts in AP Latin? But what of the kids who don’t take AP Calc, AP Physics, or AP Latin? </p>
<p>During the summer, <em>I</em> can teach him how to sew on a button, but even without my instruction, I’m pretty sure that a kid who really needs to sew on a button can figure out how to get the button sewn on without school teaching him.</p>
<p>There ya go! No need to have school substitute for parents; just give the kids a book and tell them to read it. (And wasn’t that the time-honored way of teaching kids about sex back in our youth – give them “Your Changing Body” or whatever the popular book for this was back then? )</p>
<p>Agree, Owlice. But this is what bothers me more: the idea that, once the stuff for the AP test is covered, there’s nothing else to learn. I do realize that many kids may be taking the class just for the AP designation and credit, but the classes still cover major, important subjects that don’t all distill to “what’s on the AP test.” I imagine a lot of really neat learning could go on after the test material is finished. Maybe informally, as it’s the end of senior year, but that wouldn’t have to make it any less rewarding.</p>
<p>“I imagine a lot of really neat learning could go on after the test material is finished. Maybe informally, as it’s the end of senior year, but that wouldn’t have to make it any less rewarding.”</p>
<p>I like that idea: having teachers feel free to creatively teach some of the information that the hadn’t been able to cover before the AP tests and other year end tests. Seems much more appropriate and interesting to me than teaching kids how to do laundry and balance their checkbooks, things that kids can learn at home or through experience.</p>
<p>I know that we parents are supposed to teach all this stuff…but how many times are we surprised to learn that our children DIDN’T know something that WE thought they did.</p>
<p>When my best friend’s DD was going to send in her college apps (big thick envelopes), she was SHOCKED to find out that DD didn’t know that such big, heavy envelopes would need more than just one regular stamp. This was a straight A NMF type of kid!!! </p>
<p>My own DS1 didn’t know banks aren’t open on Sundays. There are some “basic knowledge” things out there that our smart kids just didn’t seem to notice/observe/learn…LOL My own hubby (very smart) didn’t know what a bridal shower was when we got married. Seriously, sometimes the very smart just don’t know some very basic things.</p>
Same with the poster’s whose daughter’s keys fell down the elevator, if Mom was not there when she called, she would have figured it out. She just probably needed some “Mom sympathy” :-)</p>
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