January 15, 2025 – Teaching Skills for Self-Sufficiency

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

Self-Sufficient: An Oxymoron?

One of my goals as a mother of eight was to work hard with the oldest ones to get them to the place of independence so that I could work with the younger ones and do the same. Giving them responsibility and problems to solve at a young age was a skill that served us well as the children moved into independent, smart, self-sufficient adults.

Spiritually speaking, the term self-sufficiency seems to be an oxymoron. For “without Him, we can do nothing.” How do we teach this God-sufficiency? By showing our children how we trust Him in every area of our own lives. When troubled, they see us move toward prayers of faith. When in lack, we explain how we trust our Provider. Whenever possible, we remind them of what God has done in our lives. We must remember, and teach our children to remember, the deeds of the Lord. We must teach them not to fully rely on self, but to fully rely on Christ. He is all sufficient for all things. 

“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

This extended journey begins and ends with trusting God for all things. As we lean on our All-Sufficient God, and bring our children with us, they will learn to lean on Him, especially as they grow independent of us. It starts with them watching us rely on the all-sufficient grace of God towards us through whatever comes our way—the good and the bad.

“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

~Deborah

Check out these articles on simple homesteading and teaching self-sufficiency:

Three Ways to Get Started with a Homestead, by Ashleigh Krispense

A Hands-On Homestead Education: Learning from the Past, by Heather Vogler

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Heather Vogler

Should My Kids Unplug?

The task of teaching our kids how to live the self-sufficient lifestyle might seem insurmountable with technology surrounding us on all levels. Technology has become so integrated into our daily lives that even many of us who have adopted many traditional methods of living a self-sufficient lifestyle depend on it in many ways. I know there are some out there who are not dependent on technology, but they would not be interacting daily online. Unless you are meeting them out in the community, you most likely do not know about their existence—but they do exist! That isn’t me, though. I use the internet—and so do you—so how do we teach self-sufficiency with the internet so prevalent? Here are a few ideas to get your kids (and you) thinking outside the box to help keep them from being dependent on devices.

• Use the Digital Wellbeing App on Your Phone: This app allows you to track how much time you are spending on your phone each day. It even shows you how much time is used on social media or on managing your finances. If your child checks it right now and it reveals that they are spending more waking hours on their phone than not, then begin setting goals right away. Help train your child to revert to reading a book, writing a letter, or exercising whenever they are tempted to go on their phone. 
• Go on a Media Fast: As a family, unplug from using all devices except for paying bills or working on school. Try it for a day, a week, or even a month. This can help draw your family closer together.

The first step to self-sufficiency might not be what you think, but unplugging or limiting your online time can help thrust you in the right direction! 

Heather Vogler, her husband, and five children call the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia home where they homeschool and homestead. Heather has homeschooled her children from the beginning and enjoys an eclectic style of teaching. As a freelance writer she has been published in Focus on the Family Magazine, War Cry Magazine, and Brio Magazine. Heather holds a BA in Christian Ministries and currently writes at ThriftSchooling.com.  

Join Kathy Hutto on YouTube: Christian content creator sharing devotions, FREE homeschool resources, and inspiring Bible lessons for kids & families at YouTube@kathyhutto.

Stacy Farrell

HomeschoolAdventure.com

Practical Skills for Raising Self‑Sufficient Kids

Raising children to be self-sufficient is about more than just teaching practical skills—it’s about preparing them to navigate life with a sense of responsibility.

As homeschoolers, we have a unique opportunity to cultivate independence by involving our children in meaningful tasks. This includes skills that focus on good stewardship and how to care for themselves and serve others.

Core Self-Sufficiency Skills to Teach at Home

While self-sufficiency encompasses a variety of skills, I suggest focusing on three key areas to start:

Gardening: Growing food teaches children where their food comes from while giving them a tangible illustration of the fruit-bearing processes our Lord put in motion at creation. 

Preserving Food: Food preservation instills resourcefulness by reducing waste and planning for the future. Activities like canning, dehydrating, and freezing also teach patience, foresight, and attention to detail.

Cooking: Preparing meals teaches independence, time management and decision-making as students learn to wait patiently, pair foods, and prepare nutritionally balanced meals.

Simple Ways to Teach Self-Sufficiency Skills

Teaching self-sufficiency doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple, practical activities woven into daily life can build their database of knowledge. 

Consider these ideas:  

• Start a small container garden with herbs or vegetables to teach plant care and patience.
• Host a “fix-it” day for basic household repairs, like tightening screws or patching small holes.
• Practice basic sewing, like sewing a button or mending a tear, to encourage creativity and resourcefulness.
• Plan meals together, shop for ingredients—while sticking to a budget—and involve children in the cooking process.

Be encouraged: 

Progress takes time and effort, but the seeds you plant today will bear fruit in the future.

As children grow in independence, they’ll also grow in their ability to serve others and glorify God through their work!

His love,

Stacy 

About the author

Surprised by Jesus, Stacy went from an unmarried, childless, thirty-something career woman to a Christ-following wife of more than thirty years with two sons she homeschooled K-12. Author of more than twenty books—including the award-winning Philosophy Adventure and Food Prep Guide: A Plan for Money-Saving, Self-Sustaining Abundance in Hard Times—she loves to equip and encourage homeschool families. Visit her at HomeschoolAdventure.com and at FoodPrepGuide.com.

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Stephanie Morrison

Passing On God-Sufficient Skills

Don’t take on the ways of the culture around you but look to God’s Word and ways to guide you in living a life that is good, satisfying, and productive. This is my rephrase of Romans 12:2. 

This world teaches us to live independent from God, but the good news is, we live better when we are dependent on God. He has provided all we need for our physical, mental, and emotional needs. Being self-sufficient (or more accurately God-sufficient) is also about having all areas of life based on God’s ways. You’re already God-sufficient in a big area of parenting. This culture puts childhood education in an institutional setting that doesn’t even teach some of the vital skills of life. But you know better—educating children is a part of parenting and that rewarding responsibility is yours. 

Thankfully, we have it pretty easy compared to the pre-government-education days of parents teaching their children. The vast and varied options we have now for learning materials and teaching guidance equips us well to provide the custom education where every child can thrive. Teaching life skills should include the common self-sufficient ways like cooking, cleaning, growing and raising your own food, as well as harvesting and processing that food. But consider what other knowledge is important to raise our kids in the way they should go: 

• Business knowledge so they can create their own job
• Independent thinking so they know how to avoid fallacies and deception
• Communication skills so they can have healthy personal and professional relationships

For more life skills teaching see the complete book of Proverbs and the supporting text in the whole Bible.

About the author

Pursuing her calling to help parents enjoy the responsibility of educating their children, Steph works with select clients in the home education industry and helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses from home. She and her family are perfectly placed in the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada. She loves being a homebody and building up her permaculture property. Learn more about Steph at: www.CreatingWorkandPlay.com.

Can elementary children learn how to cook, manage their money, and throw parties? The proper care and running of a home are goals we never want to lose sight of in the midst of educating our children. So let’s bring them along with us, training them as we go with the Home Economics course on SchoolhouseTeachers.com. With printables and many hands-on practical activities, our course will help you teach the basics of self management, hospitality, and cooking. Use this as a full home economics curriculum or as a jumping-off point, adding in things that are unique to your own family values and situation.