Life Lessons at our Homeschool Co-op
The last 15 minutes of our day at co-op are devoted to cleaning. We’ve come up with a list of jobs that need to get done daily. Our co-op meets at a church that graciously allows us to use their space so we try to instill in our students a sense of gratitude and respect for that. Each Monday morning we assign our students a partner and their jobs for the week. They do their jobs with their partner so they can help each other and work together. We also have a wide range of ages at our co-ops so we’ve found it to be helpful for the younger kids to be paired with older kids. There are usually a lot of smiles and laughter as they complete their chores together.
One of our goals at our co-op is to teach our kids life skills. Learning how to clean up after themselves is a life-long lesson. It helps them learn independence and self-reliance. We want them to be aware of their space and their materials and to remember they are responsible for these things. If they know their job is to clean the bathroom that afternoon, they are much less likely to throw paper towels on the floor and splatter the mirror and counter. By doing daily jobs, they learn accountability and responsibility.
Some of the jobs we teach our kids how to do are: cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, wiping tables, doing dishes, cleaning the kitchen, emptying garbages, and taking out the recycling. They also restock supplies, sharpen pencils, and put all of our materials and supplies away so the space is ready for church on Sundays.
