Home Schooling & Work Ethic

I am a firm believer in teaching children how to have a good work ethic. Home schooling has allowed flexibility with time so studying and volunteering was possible.

When my twins were 12 years old we volunteered at a Community Food Store, so they could learn about others in our community.  Their reward was a sense of helping others and this experience gave them insight into others less fortune than themselves.   They also gained work experience and learnt how a food store and café operate.

My son was interested in BMX bike riding, so I arranged work experience at our local Bike Shop.  This experience taught him customer service, communication skills, bike maintenance, and how to assemble bikes.   

He then became interested in the Building Industry as his cousin was an apprentice carpenter.  So we arranged work experience with a local Building Company.  He learnt about the building industry and all the different trades that are needed to build a house.  During this time I designed his English lessons from Building Manuals and books to do with the building industry.  

When he was old enough to apply for casual work, having all this work experience on his resume really helped him gain employment.   Putting his resume together was another home schooling lesson.  He now has a casual job in the Fast Food Industry and is enjoying earning and saving money. 

My daughter continued volunteering at the Community Store, as she really enjoyed the work.  She then did some work experience at a local Café where she learnt more about customer service, communication skills, and kitchen duties and about the Hospitality Industry.

She then gained employment at the local Indoor Children’s Play Centre and Café.  This work has taught her organisation skills, how to run a children’s birthday party, cooking skills and how a small business operates.

This whole experience has taught a lot of living skills and work ethic, my children have a good sense of budgeting and how to work for a living.  They have gained many new skills, confidence and the knowledge that by working hard you can earn money and save for things you want.  Home schooling and casual work has really helped their maturity and learning.