14/52: Fire - Teaching Jed Life Skills

We firmly believe in teaching our kids life skills. Mark and I both think that it is so important for our kids to enter adulthood knowing how to care for themselves. So, little by little we have been intentional about teaching them these skills. Earlier this year Jed continually asked to learn to cook. I was nervous, there is so much room for error and it can be dangerous! But, Mark had faith and started teaching Jed to make breakfast on the weekend mornings. They are usually the first awake, so it was quiet and there are less distractions (ahem, awake brothers) than the rest of the day. Jed really took to it. I almost didn't believe it when Mark told me that Jed had learned to make pancakes, and that I should let him cook for his brothers in the mornings. Sure enough, I started to let him give it a go and he did amazing! I am so proud of him! Since then he has experimented with many different meals.

The younger boys are all so curious about Jed when he's cooking, they are eager to learn too! But, for now, Jed is the only one we are actively working with on this skill.

We are working on other skills with them such as, making their beds, vacuuming, folding clothes, washing dishes, and putting things away when we are finished with them! I sincerely hope that you aren't reading this thinking that since I am teaching my boys these things that we have a perfectly clean and orderly house 100 percent of the time. Because we don't. I work on teaching these things when they are ready and willing, rather than making them mandatory routine chores.

I firmly believe in picking my battles, I do not wish to battle everyday over a long list of todos.

I think that they have many more years to learn the burden of responsibility and choose instead to teach them how to do these things well. While slowly training them up to be young men who will be equipped for adulthood because they have been taught the skills necessary to take care of themselves and others. I like to think of it as I am raising future husbands, rather than an army of tiny servants.