James and Rebecca's story
Rebecca and James feel that lots of important life skills, used on a daily basis, aren't taught in school. They wanted to rectify that when they decided to educate their children at home.
Their aim is to provide their children with a good grounding in vital life skills, while also presenting opportunities to learn about a whole range of topics. For example, teaching their children how to cook also let them teach measurements, temperatures and weight.
Video: Developing practical skills
Check out this video as Rebecca and James explain how home education provides their children with life skills which will be useful through their lives.
James: I worry as a parent that, you know, I don't want my children to grow up and not be able to do the basic things in life.
Rebecca: When did you learn to be able to cook? Like more than one dish?
James: Two years ago.
[laughter]
James: When you learn life skills, everyone learns them at different points in their life. And it doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing or a good thing. Everyone has their own path.
Rebecca: There are so many times in life that we've said to each other, "Why do they not teach you that in school?" And we don't want our kids to say that. They're going to be fully formed humans who can do all the things they need to do to have a fulfilled life.
James: It can literally be something as simple as the child having an interest in a favorite type of crisp. So then you turn that into a cooking opportunity - an opportunity to learn cooking. That opportunity to learn cooking involves talking about things like temperatures, measurements, weighing ingredients - life skills that start with one small interest and turn into something that teaches them so many different skills.
Rebecca: You know, they understand herbs and spices and what a plate should look like - how much protein it should have and all those different things. We want them to know those things and to be able to operate a cooker. They know how to do those things confidently, as well as budgeting.
James: Things like that - who to call if the electricity goes out. I've done jobs in this house that I never thought I'd be able to do, and I think, "I want my kids to have these skills." So where I can, I'm getting the kids involved, even if they're just picking up little things, just to encourage learning. With Genevieve, if she thinks she's being taught or if it's something she's not interested in, she really just disengages. She's not interested. And then you just take a step back, you reframe it, you take it down the path of something she's interested in and try to blend it a little bit. Then all of a sudden, she's engaged - she's really starting to show an interest in making jewelry, necklaces, and bracelets. And it's definitely something that I can see, as time goes on, developing into a skill that will probably turn into a bit of a passion.
Rebecca: Everywhere we go, she'll look at things and say, "Oh, but I could make that."
James: I think there's a big thing when you leave school. From my experience of being in school and then leaving, you start navigating through life. And when you're going into adulthood, there are all these extra hurdles that make life even harder. If you can learn those things as you go, then you're ready to hit the ground running when you're 16, 18, or as you get older.
Rebecca: We get to see them fully grow as people, and we get to be part of that. Some people ask, "Do you not get sick of each other?" But no. Somehow, no. I really enjoy spending time with the five of us.
Where can I read more about practical skills and home education?
If you felt a connection to James and Rebecca's story, check out our guides on seven life skills you can develop in home education, finding lessons in real life and building your child's study skills.
For general advice on building skills and parenting, have a read of these articles from BBC Bitesize Parents' Toolkit: the benefits of cooking together with your child, ideas to get crafty with your kids and five cooking and baking activities to try with your child.
Where can I find more support for home education and parenting?
The BBC Bitesize home education collection is designed to support you and your child’s learning at home with free resources for early years and foundation stage (EYFS), primary and secondary-age students.
Bitesize Parenting is the go-to place for the whole parenting community to find stories, expert advice and fun activities.
If your child has special educational needs and / or disabilities, be sure to check out the Parenting SEND collection. Bitesize also has a collection of Sensory Stories, an immersive video series that transports you on unique sensory adventures, for children with additional or complex needs.
For more information about home education, these BBC News articles cover the rise in families deciding to educate their children at home and, from 2021, the impact of Covid on home education.
Sign up to the BBC Bitesize newsletter! External Link
For home education news and stories plus updates on the latest Bitesize content, register for our newsletter today.
