Our Homeschool Home Economics Class

Really, my girls are instructed in "Home Ec" every day.  They know more about housekeeping and cleaning than most of the girls I attended college with!  But, I still wanted an organized course for them.  I wanted to make sure that I covered everything I thought they would need to know when they have a home of their own.  I also knew that if I didn't schedule those goals as well as some creative fun type activities too as part of their school day, it probably wouldn't happen.  Plus, they will be earning a high school credit as well.

Olivia actually completed a Home Ec course when she was in the ninth grade.  She used Alpha Omega LifePacs, which is a set of workbooks with some creative assignments mixed in as well.   She read and completed all of the 10 workbooks, but I did not have her do many of the projects, because they really weren't all that practical in my opinion.

I knew that I wanted her to take Home Ec again, and this time I wanted Julie to complete the course too.  So, I just created my own course.

I planned 150 lessons.  Most of the lessons will take about an hour to complete, but on some days the only assignment is to read from selected books, so those days won't take as long.  I began my plans by listing goals I had for my girls in the following areas:

• Kitchen
• General Sewing
• Housecleaning
• General Household Care
• Specific Sewing Projects
• Quilting

Next, I selected the books that I would use as my textbooks for my course.

• Large Family Logistics 
• Stitch by Stitch
• First Time Quiltmaking
• Sue Gregg Cookbooks
• A cute recipe binder/scrapbook

As I made my daily assignments, I alternated reading days (from Large Family Logistics), kitchen days, sewing days, shopping days, household project days, etc.  

Some of my goals for this course are:

• Complete a recipe binder of tried and true recipes.
• Prepare supper alone several times throughout the year.
• Learn to make a weekly menu plan and shopping list.
• Actually buy a week's worth of groceries alone.
• Learn the basics of creating a household budget.
• Sew skirts and t shirt dresses for the girls.
• Create a weekly and monthly cleaning schedule.

Those are just a few of my goals, I think I listed around twenty.  Large Family Logistics has suggestions of activities at the end of some of some of the chapters, so they will be completing those. The girls will be creating a binder including various homemaking handouts and charts as we go along.  I also plan to include photos of their various sewing projects, and they will also have their completed pretty recipe binder.

We are already enjoying our Home Ec course, and I hope we that create fond memories as well as learn practical skills the year progresses.