One of the main responsibilities that all parents have is to help their children grow up to become respectful and independent adults. In order to do this, there are a few things that moms and dads can do. First of all, setting their children is a fantastic way to show a child how one is expected to act and behave in adulthood. But it is also necessary to teach them some of the important life skills that they will be expected to know once they go off to start a new life of their own.
These life skills are more than the education that your children will learn at school. At school they will learn all about knowledge and academic topics, but they won’t always come away with practical experience and skills that they can put to good use in various walks of life. That all comes down to you to teach them.
So, are you wondering which life skills you need to focus on? Here are some important ones that all young children need to have some awareness of before the age of ten.
Money Skills
Children rarely get taught anything about money management and financial planning in the classroom, so you might want to spend some time teaching your children the importance of this. How you do that will depend on how old they are. Generally speaking, though, it’s best to wait until they are old enough to receive pocket money or an allowance. Then you can take the time to discuss how they could use this money that they now receive. For instance, you could explain opportunity cost to them and the fact that every purchase will come with its own set of consequences. Giving them pocket money is also a fantastic way to encourage them to save up as they will see firsthand just how many more opportunities they can have if they stash their cash away.
Time Management
It is super important that your children learn how to appreciate all of the time that they have been given and how to successfully manage it for various things. You can wait until they start receiving homework from school to help them with their time management. Then you can show them that it pays for them to get their homework done as soon as they get home from school so that they then have the rest of the evening to play and enjoy their free time. By teaching them these important time-management skills, they will eventually learn how to prioritize certain tasks in their life.
IT and Tech Know-How
Over the past few years, technology has infiltrated our lives in ways we didn’t previously think would be possible. After all, whoever imagined such a thing as a smart coffee machine?! Now that tech and IT play such huge parts in each and every one of our lives, it is necessary that children have some know-how of them. One great skill that you should try and teach your children is how to code. Coding is very important in technology and it is the basis of all kinds of devices and websites. Once your child can code, they will be able to understand how technology works a lot better, and will also be able to create websites and apps. Don’t worry if you aren’t too sure on how to code yourself. You might want to learn along with your kids! There are lots of great apps and online resources that can help you do so. Check out the Codeacademy for more.
Good Healthcare
You have probably already taught your children all about the basics of good hygiene. But it’s also necessary to teach them why we need to be hygienic. That way, they will have a better foundation for this, and will be more likely to carry on implementing hygienic practices for the rest of their lives. Not only that, though, but you also need to teach them about other aspects of health and fitness, such as following a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercising. With these, you should also explain why they are so important. And then, once your kids have a solid understanding of good healthcare practices, they will take this skill with them into adulthood.
Critical Thinking
Your children need to be able to think for themselves once they hit a certain age. This will be encouraged in school, but you might also want to backup learning this skill as well in the home. You just need to teach the importance of critical thinking. So, it’s worth spending time with them showing them how they can analyze any evidence that they ever come across. By analyzing it correctly, they will be able to come to their own opinion about it and see whether they can use it to back up their own views. Teaching children the importance of brainstorming for various solutions and quick fixes is also part of critical thinking. You should let them know that they need to spend time to come to their own conclusions so that they are always well-informed when trying to make decisions.
Basic Survival Skills
Don’t worry; by “survival skills” I don’t mean that you need to teach your children any wilderness training! I just mean that they need to be equipped with some of the most basic life-saving skills, such as knowing how to swim and how they should act in the event of an emergency. This could make all the difference if they are put in a very difficult situation. Plus, it gives you the chance to enjoy some peace of mind, as your children will be better equipped to deal with emergency situations. One thing that you could do as a family is to hold a fire drill. That way, you all know what you need to do in the event that a fire breaks out in your home.
As you can see then, there are plenty of important skills that you need to pass onto your kids!
