By
Beverley Paine
Homeschooling
veteran Linda Dobson (www.parentatthehelm.com)
believes that the act of home education nurtured and honed her natural
frugality. She challenges families to “have a family contest to see who can
research and find the most additional ways your clan can be frugal”.
It’s
true, most of us have learned how to make do with less, not only from necessity
because we’re no longer in the double income bracket, but because it is a great
way to help our children learn. Counting our pennies and working out discounts
while we’re shopping is second nature because that’s how our children learn
maths. Making things about the house means they get to measure and quote, learn
how to use tools and materials efficiently, effectively and safely. Buying new
stuff all the time deprives us of the opportunity for learning!
In
a recent article on her blog, Linda said, “Compared to many others during this
economic crisis, I’d like to remind you that you’re in relatively good shape. After
all, you haven’t grown accustomed to relying on a $4.00 cup of coffee to wake
you up on the way to work every day. You haven’t frequented restaurants for so
long that you don’t know how to cook. The thrift shop sales girls are already
holding the ‘good stuff’ for you because they know you’ll be in soon.”
Home
educators know how to get by cheaply. And their children are learning valuable
lessons that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives. While
children in schools are working out ways to avoid doing home work, home
educated kids are busy building, making, doing the chores, dreaming, playing,
sewing, cooking, gardening, recycling, selling unwanted things on e-Bay or the
homeschool forum… helping mum and dad make ends meet and take care of the
family. They’re active in the community, learning how to work with and help
others too. Instead of learning how to be passive consumers our home educated
children are building “the knowledge base necessary for self-sufficiency,
self-motivation, self-employment, and self-knowledge”.
Take
up Linda’s challenge! Work out how many different ways your family can
reduce costs, tread lightly on the planet, homeschool for less.
