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~Rachel~
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OK I had bumped up the old homemaking thread, but in reality I think this needs its own thread 
What type of skills do you think are necessary to instill in our growing boys for use as an adult?
What books would you recommend that they read? (DS has his 9th birthday coming up, but I'd like to think ahead )
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~Rachel~
Wife to William
Mum to James 13, Lenore 8
Lighting a Fire
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Mary G
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Rachel,
Here are some great books to get you started:
Dangerous Book for Boys
The American Boy's Handy Book
The Field and Forest Handy Book
The Boy Scouts Handbook
Boys to Men: The Transforming Power of Virtue
Those should give you a great start! I think the big thing is getting the boys outside or active inside ... building, creating, hiking, etc. I also have my boys learn some of the traditional "girl jobs" -- sewing, cooking, cleaning and (of course  ) knitting -- so that they can do these things for themselves if necessary.
(19yos called the other day, "How do you cook sweet potatos?" ... he was having pork roast with mangoes, papayas and pineapple and baked sweet potatos ... we were having cheese-rice and eggs -- doesn't seem fair does it?  )
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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ladybugs
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I would also recommend, Virtuous Leadership.
I haven't read it yet (mine is on order) but a dear friend values it so highly, I have no qualms in recommending it.
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Maria P
My etsy store - all proceeds go to help my fencing daughters!
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JodieLyn
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My dh tells me that the boys need to learn to sew.. not only for themselves.. but as a firefighter there are crews that will MAKE their own gear because no one manufactures exactly what they want.. and sewing is a huge skill to have to get onto some of these more elite crews
And firefighting is a good seasonal high paying job for the college age students.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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lapazfarm
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I think of all of the things my dh does for us himself, so we don't have to pay others to do it for us, and I want my sons to be able to do these things for their families as well.
Things like basic carpentry, basic plumbing, basic auto repair/maintenance, basic electrical wiring, lawn maintenance. When dh is doing these things I always encourage my sons to "go help daddy" from the time they are very small. Dh is great to indulge them, letting them "help" with whatever they can and as they get older they become very competent. My sons, at ages 13 and 17 are both competent with all kinds of hand and power tools and it is great for their self-esteem to be able to do so many "manly" things.
So, books are great, and the ones Mary suggested are tops, but there is nothing like the example and gentle guidance of a real man, preferably dad, to show them the ways of manly things.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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~Rachel~
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Oh I definitely agree Theresa, DH is very patient with DS. He lets him 'help' with the car (oil changes, breaks etc.) and various 'man jobs'  around the house. I was just trying to figure out the best way to encourage some of the other skills in life 
Keep it coming ladies!
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~Rachel~
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Willa
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JodieLyn wrote:
My dh tells me that the boys need to learn to sew.. not only for themselves.. but as a firefighter there are crews that will MAKE their own gear because no one manufactures exactly what they want.. and sewing is a huge skill to have to get onto some of these more elite crews
And firefighting is a good seasonal high paying job for the college age students. |
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I have heard exactly the same thing from a homeschooling friend of mine, whose oldest is a firefighter. He is so grateful that she taught him to sew.
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AMDG
Willa
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juststartn
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I'd think about what sorts of things I'd want my DH to be able to take care of, generally, and under special circumstances (like when mom gets put on bedrest with a twin pregnancy and there are 5 dc already running around, ages 9 and under). Admittedly, he'd have some help, likely, but you wouldn't want to have someone else over all the time. Kwim?
My DH can cook, do laundry (altho he doesn't fold), do carpentry and car work, can take care of the garden, the animals, and, well, just about everything. Of course, most of the time, *I* take care of the animals, the garden, the cooking, the cleaning, the laundry...and I arrange for the car work (cause he cannot physically "do" alot of the maneuvering that car work takes anymore). But he knows HOW to do those things. Kwim?
Rachel
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glinNC
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I think cooking, cleaning, and being able to do laundry are fundamental skills, besides all the great suggestions already mentioned! If they can cook, clean, and do laundry, then they'll do OK on their own until they get married ... then they can impress their new wife with their skills. Maybe THEN we'd get a "thanks" from somebody for our efforts!
glinNC
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Teaching Boys Skills...
