Book Review: Christine Field's Life Skills for Kids: Equipping Your Child for the Real World

During my last day at the Florida Parent Educators Association, I was browsing the vending hall one last time, soaking in any last minute books or resources to add to my wish list for the following school year. What I found was the book from Christine Field, "Life Skills for Kids, Equipping Your Child for the Real World". Seems simple enough, but it seems we all need some occasional reminders on how to reinforce these skills that should be taught at home.

While this book isn't necessarily geared towards the homeschooler, it does offer some valuable information to all parents with children, that we expect to grow into adults who can care for themselves.

Christine Field offers a maxim of maturity that can be taught and are cumulative to one another. Each maxim is covered in its own chapter with great ideas that explore ways to not only introduce each of these foundations we hope our children to have, but for us as parents to enforce and make not only our children, but us responsible for the outcome.

Below is a listing of each maxim. Keep in mind that Christine Field isn't describing that these maxims be taught all at one time, but these are maxims as parents we should teach our children for them to better understand the "real world" and skills they need realistically as they age. Children that are three years old aren't going to be able to handle maxim fourteen all on their own. They will if we as parents continue to reinforce the maxims, keep our children involved in learning the maxim's and model the behaviors.

Maxim One: Responsibility beings in the small things and should be timed well.

Note that children of young age can still be helpful to parents at home. They usually willingly assist in many activities if you give them a chance.

Maxim Two: Children must learn to get along with others and to resolve and manage conflict on their own.