By nature, I am sometimes a box checker. I like a good to-do list, and I like to see those boxes checked. Maybe we are like this with our high schooler’s credits as well. We see the required subjects needed for graduation, and we start making a plan to check those credits off. One of HLA’s requirements for graduation is .50 Health credit.
I think it is one of the most overlooked credits in high school. Sometimes, we focus on making sure we have the Algebras, the History, and the English credits. Health may not rank as high on the list of priorities, but I would like you to consider Health from a post-graduation view.
My son left for college last year. It was his first time navigating his own Health responsibilities without me. I remember the first time he called when he was sick. I felt helpless. He had to go to the urgent care himself and learn how to present our insurance card, get some tests run, and pick up a prescription. It was then that I realized there were so many more Health life lessons that I should have covered in our homeschooling years while he was under our roof.
Not running on too little sleep, not getting enough vitamins through fruits and vegetables, and how to manage stress are all important life lessons that can be covered through Health. I think it is helpful to know when an antibiotic may be needed, or when it is a virus and you need to rest, hydrate, and recover.
Mental health is an important part of health education. Does your student know that it is important to have a mentor or an accountability partner, someone to talk through life with and build good relationships? Spiritual Health may be an important part of your student’s life. Quiet time, prayer, and worship are all part of Health education that can affect your student’s life after graduation. Lastly, it may be good to cover what to do in an emergency, and make sure your student has those resources should something more serious happen.
Health can cover nutrition, sleep, exercise, and mental and spiritual areas. Learning to take health seriously is an important subject to cover in homeschool. That will prepare your students for life and adulthood.
There is a quote that says “Health is not wealth, it is everything” (source unknown), and I could not agree more.
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