Our goal in educating our children is to teach them to be self-sufficient, to be on their own in the world, and to help them find ways for them to support themselves.

Homeschooling parents need to make sure that they are successful for more reasons than one: to be fair to our children, to quiet the controversy, and so that we won't be haunted by the 'I-should-have-done-this' ghoul.

Here are a few projects to incorporate into your curriculum to accomplish just that.

CHECKS AND BALANCES:

This project lasts about 2 months, and teaches your teenager to handle finances. And because they create their own paperwork, art is thrown in for some fun.

Start by having your student design and create his own checkbook, complete with checks, record area, and deposit slips. Show them the format, and allow creativity to flow.

Next, you must set up a budget. This includes a weekly check, bills, incidentals, and an emergency need for money. Here is a sample budget:

Rent (monthly)
Utilities (monthly)
Car Payment (monthly)
Gas (weekly) Food (weekly) Laundry (weekly/twice a week)

He will work around the house for a weekly 'check', maybe $200. Set the amount of the bills accordingly. He can 'earn' extra money by taking on additional work.

During the course of 2 months, you create emergencies (car breaks down, dog has to go to the vet, friend wants to borrow money, etc.) where he will have to come up with the 'money' to deal with the situation. He must decide if he'll make payments or pay in one lump sum.

Once or twice a week set up a 'General Store', where he can 'purchase' items by check. Have the price tags on these things, and he will have to decide if he can 'afford' that walkman now or on the next shopping trip.

All during this time, he will take care of the records in his own checkbook, balancing his accounts so that everything is organized.

Because of this project, my daughter testifies that she can handle the finances of KIDS' HIGHWAY with ease. (She and her brother are the editors of this magazine.)

THE CAR:

Every person on their own will have a car to care for. Being able to care for it by oneself, saves money and promotes confidence. As soon as your student understands the safety concept, put her on car duty.

For the past 15 years, I've called my students off of EVERYTHING they were doing so they could pull car duty. Night, day, hot, cold, rain, shine, sleet, weekend, or weekday, it didn't matter. When the car needed repair, they were out there learning to fix, paint, repair, or replace it. (Only exception was that if they were sick.)

Using this set of priorities, my daughter alone knows the following:

pump gas
change a tire
change the oil/oil filter
replace fuel filter
back the bearings (and everything involved to find them)
put antifreeze in radiator
replace radiator
change transmission fluid and gaskets
paint the car
clean and change spark plugs
replace coil springs
replace shocks
replace harnesses
jump start a car
change a battery
replace breather
replace alternator
take off a steering column
put in headers
replace distributor and wires
replace timing chain
adjust timing
replace brake shoes
install a fuel pump
install a water pump
take off a transmission
take apart an engine
replace master cylinders
replace a tie rod
replace ball joints
replace stablizer bar.

All this before she knew how to drive. Will we worry about her and her car when she's on her own. I don't think so.

COURT DAY:

Spend a day at your local courthouse. Watch the procedures for calling people up for jury duty, attend a hearing in session. Observe the lawyers, jury, witnesses, the bailiff. (more exciting than TV) Have your students talk with lawyers, prosecuting attorneys, policemen on duty or those who come in to testify, stenographers, secretaries, legal aids, or other official and office personel. It's been our experience that if you take a serious approach and ask to-the-point questions, most will take the time for your student.

POLICE DAY:

Take your student to the police station (best by appointment). There's so much to see and learn that you may have to schedule more than one day.

Learn the ranks of police officers by the badges they wear. You also become familiar with the special divisions and units created to handle certain problems. (like the drug and gang unit, water rescue, K-9, detectives, patrol units, and bicycle patrols) What is it like inside the patrol car? What kind of equipment and weapons are used for certain situations? What are the physical requirements to be an officer? Watch K-9 demonstrations (a favorite of ours), repelling and scaling walls. Inspect gear and apparel. Here, too, officers are very accommodating to students who want to learn.

Your students can then write what they learned from the people they spoke to in interview form. By interacting with several kinds of people and what they do for a living can help your students to decide if this is the career for them. Even if nothing suits them at this point, they will look back on this experience as a high point in their career as a student.

MENUS:

Once your student has learned the food groups and about nutrition, have him plan the dinner meal. After you approved of his selection, have him make out the shopping list for the things you don't have on hand. He will then be required to do the shopping and stay within the perameters of the list. Then, he will cook this meal.

This project will teach him about budgeting, estimating portions, best buys for one kind of product, handling money and change, and of course, cooking. PLUS if your supermarket is anything like ours, he'll learn to handle people.

If your students can master these projects, they are well on their way to becoming self-sufficient. After all, that's our goal.