There are so many things as a parent that we are responsible for teaching our kids, life skills should be on the top of that list. It is on us when our children graduate from high school not knowing basic life skills. I’ve seen arguments a lot lately about the public-school system and things they should be teaching; balancing a check book, how to do taxes, how to write a resume, how to create a budget, and so much more. Although I do think it would be great if public school systems would add these life skills to their curriculum, I do not think that it should be the school’s sole responsibility to make sure our kids are capable for adulthood. We are their parents and it is on us.
Life Skills
- Be able to talk to strangers
- Be able to find your way around
- Be able to manage a workload (school or work)
- Be able to self-start
- Be able to do laundry
- Be able to sort laundry
- Be able to do dishes
- Be able to manage money
- Be able to do taxes (know what to claim on W2s)
- Be able to save money
- Be able to cook
- Be able to wake themselves up on time
- Be able to pump gas
- Be able to advocate for themselves
- Be able to order in a restaurant
- Be able to go grocery shopping
- Be able to create a budget
- Be able to pay their own bills
- Be able to make their own doctors’ appointments
- Be able to read and write in cursive
- Be able to sign his/her name
- Be able to address an envelope
- Be able to read an analog clock (this seems like a no brainer to me but I’ve seen so many kids in the last 10 years that cannot do it).
- Be able to write a check
- How to use a credit card to build credit but not gain debt
- How to bargain
- How to write a resume
- How to create a savings reserve for bills
- How to change car oil
- How to type
- How to clean a bathroom toilet
- How to do basic sewing, like sewing on a button or fixing a ripped seam.
- How to unclog a toilet
- How to write
- How to speak in front of others (public speaking)
- How to research what you read online
- How to stay safe.
- How to use kitchen appliances and always remember to turn them off
- How to do basic first aid
There are so many things that we learn as we’re thrown to the wolves as adults but there are also a great number of skills we should prepare our kids with. I know there are all kind of arguments for and against pampering kids. What they need help with, what we need to be teaching them, helicopter parenting, hands off parenting, etc. Whatever your parenting type pay attention to some of these essential life skills and do what you can to prepare you children for adulthood. There is definitely more than this list of 37.
Sarah
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