10 Life Skills We Should Teach Our Kids

The older my children get, the more I realize that they need an education not just in math and history, but in life. The basic skills that we all get by with, the ones we consider common sense, aren’t as common as we think.

We’ve all heard the stories. The college kid who had never done his own laundry before. The adult who couldn’t make anything beyond boxed mac and cheese. The married couple who bought a house they had no idea how to maintain.

We all know someone like this. We’ve probably all been someone like this at one time or another in our lives. We’re all going to come across things we don’t know how to fix, do, or make. That’s why YouTube was created. (What? There was another reason?)

But now that my kids are reaching ages where they are slightly more independent and self-sufficient, I realize that I don’t want them to enter adulthood without the ability to do the most basic things. A lot of schools have cut programs like Home Ec, considering them to be a waste of resources and out-of-date, despite the valuable life lessons they taught.

I’m not making the case for Home Ec, or similar classes by other names, to be added back into the curriculum. But I am interested in kids being able to enter the adult world as well-rounded individuals who can survive on their own (a steady diet of that yellow powder Kraft calls cheese cannot possibly be healthy).

I’ve been compiling a list of what skills my children should learn before they enter the “real world.” Some of them I knew and was glad that I did. Others I wish I had known because there came a time when I really needed them.

I can’t change the school curriculum, but I can be my children’s teacher. Just because they have gone on to school, doesn’t mean I stop being in charge of their growth, learning, and development.

So, here is a list of the 10 life skills I think that every child should know, whether they learn it in school or at home. Or off YouTube like their mother. (Don’t worry, guys, I use Google, too…)

1. 

   Sewing. I’m not talking about working a sewing machine, although that would be a plus. But it’s a huge waste of money to throw away anything with a little tear or pay someone else to repair it. I want my kids to be able to fix their own holey socks. And maybe mine when I’m old, gray, and legally blind.

 

2. Cooking. I think in terms of family because that’s where I am in life, but regardless of whether you are feeding a passel of kids or just yourself, knowing how to do more than boil water is a life skill we all need. The meals I put together as a teenager weren’t gourmet, but they were edible and balanced. Maybe your child has a little Emeril Lagasse in him, just waiting for the opportunity to come out.

 

3. Reading a map. I am directionally impaired, and I don’t care how many people think this skill is no longer needed in the world of smartphones and Google Maps. Until you’ve sat for 15 minutes in a Mexican fast food drive-thru with sleeping kids in the car, while you tried to translate the napkin directions the attendant was drawing for you while speaking mostly Spanish because your phone was dead and you were lost—well, let’s just say an actual map would have done me a lot of good.

 

4. Laundry. It doesn’t matter if my adult children will one day choose to wash all their clothes together in hot water and dry them on high heat. That’s their choice. But I do want them to at least know how to sort their clothes, and properly wash, dry, and fold them. Oh, and put them away in a way that makes it obvious they were folded, not tied up like they’re holding all the worldly possessions of a train-hopping hobo.

 

5. 

   Take public transportation. For two months, I had no car in Las Vegas. If I had not known how to figure out bus routes and transfer, let alone put my exact change in the machine by the driver, I would never have been able to hold a job. I want my children to know that there are more options out there than overpaying for a car or relying on friends and family for rides.

 

6. Make small talk with a stranger. Whether you think small talk is inane or not, it’s an undeniable part of life. Work and social settings call for it and children should be taught how to handle these situations. Letting them practice now gives them a chance to work out the kinks. If you have a child who is introverted or shy, they may need extra time and practice to speak to new people.

 

7. Basic first aid. My crying daughter will often bring me a scrape that’s not even bleeding, demanding a band-aid. My rule is no blood, no bandage, mostly for just such an occasion. But children should gain a basic knowledge of how to assess and treat an injury. Last year, when my 10-month-old broke her arm, I had no idea it was broken. I’d never seen a broken bone before, had no idea what I was looking at, and took her to the ER with no clear idea of what the diagnosis would be. I’d like my kids to grow up to be a little quicker to the mark than I was.

 

8. Manage money. As someone who has accumulated more than her fair share of debt, I want to teach my children how to manage their money better than I did. Not only in word, but in deed; making a budget is only helpful if you can stick to it. If children learn how to handle money when they’re young, their habits will be ingrained before the stakes get too high.

 

9. Debate a position. Too often, people are unable to articulate their argument, persuade their audience, or have an exchange of ideas. Whether it’s why bedtime should be half an hour later or why they should be able to take a gap year, children should learn how to argue a point. And they also need to know when they will not change another person’s mind and to accept it. (My children and I currently agree to disagree on bedtime.)

 

10. Order for themselves. The first time I ordered for myself at a restaurant, the waitress asked if I wanted soup or salad. I thought she said, “Super salad,” to which I replied, “Yes.” She asked again and I replied, “Super salad.” This went on for a bit until I realized what she meant. I’m just glad I lived through that embarrassing moment as a young teenager rather than as an adult at a business lunch.

 

There are many more life skills other than the ones on this list that will greatly enrich and assist our children throughout life. We can’t expect schools to teach these basics to them, at least not fully. But as parents and caregivers, we have the opportunity to prepare them for real life, beyond the books.

Make sure your child doesn’t one day stare blankly at a waitress, ordering the “Super salad.” That’s love.

 

What life skills do you think children should be taught? Were there any you wish you’d known sooner? I’d love to hear in the comments!