1000 Apprenticeships

I once heard the statement "Life should be a 1,000 apprenticeships."  We just saw "Lone Survivor" and among the many quotes I could pull from that, one of my favorites is "Been around the world twice and talked to everybody once." Those statements coupled with viewing the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" gave us the inspiration and motivation for our ever developing homeschool theory.  If you've not seen Slumdog Millionaire the general theme of the movie is about one boy raised in the slums of India and how he was able to win one million dollars by answering all the questions on their version "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" show from all of his numerous life experiences. 

This theory, along with my general interest in the hows and whys of everything, propel us to take and show our children to so many different outings, speakers, events, and places.  I constantly am looking up anything and everything.  I do believe that the practical life skills of the home and making of the home are as important (if not more important) than their textbook education we hope to offer them.

I have said it before, but there truly doesn't seem to be enough time for us to show them all the wonders of God's great world, even if that wonder comes from a book.  I am naturally a very inquisitive person so finding the origins of the red Solo cup I am holding is very intriguing to me.  I get a great kick out of Dominic as he knows how much I love facts and trivia.  He throws one my way most days.  "Hey Mom, Do you know why pencils are yellow.?"  He tells me that one often as he knows I love it.

He is my child through and through.  He told me that the weeks before we first flew on an airplane together he read over and over how to land an airplane in case of emergency.  He told me he practiced over and over in his bed at night. I couldn't decide if I should laugh or cry how cute he was telling me the whole gig. 

Anyway, I(we) hope that our children's lives will be filled with 1,000 apprenticeships big and small.  I have begun a list of things I hope to teach and show them.   I have my BIG things.  I want to travel to Washington, DC as a family to the March for Life.  I hope to visit all 50 states with them in their lifetime.  Dominic and I want to go to New Zealand to see where "The Hobbit" was filmed. I hope to work our way through all the old Disney movies.  I hope they all learn how to make my mother's cinnamon rolls.  I want them to have tried as many different ethnic cuisines as possible.  I want them to know where every soup kitchen or literacy center is so they are able to offer their time back.   I am teaching the older four how to do a back flip. We will learn how to change a tire, how to bake a wedding cake from scratch, how to write your congressman, and how to properly make a phone call.

My small list is as long.  I want them all to know CPR.  I have taught them how to turn off the water to our home.  We learned last week how to plunge a toilet and turn off the water if it is overflowing.  On Fridays, we started a new tradition of "Potties and Popcorn."  The older four children and myself cleaned all of bathrooms Friday night.  Dominic did showers and tubs.  Lillie did the sinks.  Rose did mirrors and soap refills.  Zellie and I did toilets and floors.  I told them next week we will do all of our toilets then watch a movie and eat popcorn. Potties and Popcorn (after we wash our hands.)  I want them all to have taken Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class before they leave home. 

I found a great tutorial on pinterest to help children learn to tie their shoes and also a double knot.  Often, I can get so focused on teaching them the BIG things that I realize I have forgotten to teach the small things.

The tutorial recommended teaching them first with a jump rope and then move forward from there.

The demonstrator

Teach them each step with precise instructions and don't move on until they've conquered each step.