Started teaching the kinders how to cook at age 3.
How to fix wounds on themselves as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Now my kids are 16 and 14. They can be trusted to run the house for a weekend, grocery shop for the week, wash the clothes and dishes and get their butts in bed by a decent time. Didn’t reward them, just expected it out of them and they perform. Raising them through Catholic schools. Taught them rough camping. They are learing everything I can teach them before they turn 18. Both my parents died before I was 21, so it is very important to me to educate them as much as possible and as fast as possible. Being a Boy Scout and an Marine has a lot to do with that as well, but we are making it fun for them and in the long run, I would have raised two very self reliant people. Hopefully they will pay it back by raising kids like that of their own.
I was reading a book recently — I think your approach would be called “Heinleinian.”
And that is a badge of great distinction. It is sad so few people today teach their kids self-sufficiency.
Mine came from relative poverty and a big family — you work, you cook, you sew, you do what is needed, because you have to.
And my Mom always made sure we knew what we needed to know and took the time to make sure we knew it right.
I was also a Boy Scout and THOSE lessons have served me well, even after all these years.
Good on you ! It took well with my daughter, who is impressing me greatly with her self reliance.
Junior on the other hand, is still on the steep side of the learning curve. It appears he’s bound and determined to learn things the hard way.
However, He’s trying to make a go of it in South Carolina after graduating from The Citadel (of course there’s a woman invovled).
He’s even picking blueberries to make some cash.
Kids will always surprise you.