Life Skills for Kids: 8 Things I Believe Parents Should Teach Their Children Right Now by Amanda Condio

In my opinion, there is so much lacking in today’s parenting world and it shows in our kids. Many kids can’t cook for themselves, don’t know how to make a decent phone call or answer the phone properly, pay for items using cash or use a knife to cut things. These basic skills need to be brought back into what we teach our kids, along with a few others. Here's a list of things you might consider teaching your kids: 

1. Teach kids to cook using the stove and cut using a real knife. Kids nowadays are so used to grabbing some frozen food item and popping it into the microwave. Give them the opportunity to use the stove and make some pasta, chop some veggies or fry up a grilled cheese. Show them the dangers of the heat and what can happen if not used correctly. Always have a fire extinguisher in the home and show them how to use it for added protection. Cooking with your kids can be a lot of fun and create some very happy memories.

2. Teach kids to hunt and fish. Being in the great outdoors finding bugs, seeing wildlife and learning basic survival skills should be a regular part of parenting. Learning to filet a fish gives kids skills that even most adults don’t have today. Teaching them how to field dress an animal and identify wildlife is a great skill that could lead to a lifetime filled with experiences they will never forget! And there are a number of reasons to teach your kids to fish!

3. Teach kids how to change a tire when they start driving. If they ever get a flat it could cost a few hundred dollars for a tow truck to bring them home. Having the skill of tire changing can help them in a tight spot as well as others they pass out on the open road. Teaching teenagers to change their own oil is a huge money saver and could open them up into an interest in mechanics. Mechanics make a decent salary and this could be the push they need to dive into the trade.

4. Teach kids the skills they need to be babysitters. There are many courses available for preteens and teens to become babysitters, but you don’t have to put them in these to give them the skills they need to watch other people’s children. Not only will they learn responsibility, but they can earn some money and that is always a good thing to any child. Basic first aid, playtime, bedtime and bathroom routines are simple to teach and can open them up to starting their own babysitting service.

5. Teach kids about money. How to use it properly, how to save and manage it. So many adults have failed in this category already and are stuck under crushing debt or living paycheck to paycheck. Teach your kids how to make their money last and ensure what they purchase is what they really want. Money slips through our hands every day and it isn’t as easy as it once was to get back. These skills are huge in all stages of life, so start young and show them their future can be bright and less stressful than those who are in debt or living on tight budgets.

6. Teach kids how to sew, craft, paint or woodwork. Art is an amazing way to express yourself and could lead to a rewarding career later in life. You can enroll your kids in courses or simply buy some materials and make with them until they find their passion. Sewing can save money later on when mending materials that get torn or can become a very profitable business once they master it. No matter what they choose to do with it, these skills are very important to have throughout life.

7. Teach kids compassion. Many kids these days are rude and judgmental and it can be damaging to themselves and others around them. Teach them not to judge but to accept people for who they are. Not everyone is brought up this way so turning the other cheek is also another great skill to obtain.

8. Teach kids to swim and how to save a life. Swimming is a great form of exercise a fun activity to enjoy as a family and can lead to other sports. Swimming lessons should be tops on lessons to sign kids up for, as well as lifeguard skills. People get themselves into dangerous situations in the blink of an eye and it is always nice to know someone has the skills to save a life in a drowning event. Basic first aid can be a huge help in a dangerous situation and CPR knowledge could save a life.

What other skills are missing from this generation of parenting? Are there other teachable moments we are simply forgetting from our childhood? Share your thoughts below!

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