19 Life Skills To Help Your Children Thrive
Aug 05, 2024 06:14PM ● By Flint Zerangue, Sr.
Important Life Skills for Pre-Teens
Preparing your child for each stage of life from preschool to independence is a challenge. While many of the skills they need can be developed at a young age, others will take time to develop over the years. By fostering these skills early on and allowing your child to put them into practice, you can help them gain self-esteem and independence as they approach adulthood.
Remember that teaching kids life skills is an ongoing process that requires patience, consistency, and support. It won’t happen in a day, so don’t put too much stress on yourself. They will eventually learn these skills.
Here is a helpful list of life skills, including concepts for both young children and older kids:
1. Decision-Making
Decision-making is an essential life skill that kids need to learn early. It involves assessing options and choosing the best course of action. Start with small decisions in a safe environment to help them develop critical thinking skills. Board games like The Game of Life or card games can be useful. Create problem-solving challenges like puzzles or riddles.
2. Health and Hygiene
Health and hygiene skills, such as tooth brushing, hand washing, and healthy eating habits, are crucial but often overlooked. Find engaging ways to teach these to maintain your child's attention.
3. Time Management
Time management involves setting goals, prioritizing tasks, and maintaining sanity while fitting everything in. Games like time-based puzzles or board games like Yahtzee can help. Help your child set realistic goals and create a daily schedule. Establish routines for schoolwork, playtime, and chores.
4. Cooking
Learning to cook fosters self-sufficiency and healthy eating. It also teaches meal planning, budgeting, sanitary food preparation, and time management. Involve your child in meal planning and grocery shopping. Create cooking challenges to develop creativity and problem-solving skills in the kitchen.
5. Money Management
Financial literacy, including budgeting, saving, and managing debt, is crucial. Give your child an allowance and help them budget. Challenge them to save for desired items to teach prioritization and financial responsibility. Educate them on monitoring bank accounts, using credit cards, and understanding interest rates and credit scores.
6. Laundry
Laundry is a basic skill that even young children can start learning by sorting clothes. Older kids can handle washing, folding, and putting away clothes. Turn laundry into a fun game or create challenges like finding remedies for stains.
7. Cleaning
Cleaning involves organization, time management, and willpower. Teach your child how to keep a clean house and involve them in household chores.
8. Getting Dressed and Ready
Learning to get dressed and ready helps children manage their time, choose appropriate clothing, and express personal style. Play dress-up games to practice putting on different outfits and accessories.
9. House Maintenance
Basic house maintenance skills can save money and build confidence. Teach children tasks like painting, weeding, plunging a toilet, or changing a light fixture under supervision.
10. Basic First Aid
Basic first aid skills include cleaning wounds, applying bandages, and recognizing when to seek medical attention. Create a practice first aid kit and role-play emergency situations.
11. Caring for Pets and Plants
Caring for pets and plants fosters empathy and responsibility. Create a care schedule and visit pet stores or greenhouses to learn about animal and plant care.
12. Contact Information Memorization
Despite smartphones, knowing essential contact information is crucial. Teach your child to memorize addresses and phone numbers through memory games and emergency contact practice.
13. Coping with Failure
Handling disappointment and setbacks is essential for healthy development. Teach your child to view failure as a learning opportunity. Discuss experiences and reflect on what they learned.
14. Good Manners
Good manners, including polite language, respecting personal space, and showing empathy, are vital. Practice proper etiquette, role-play introductions, and set tables correctly. Encourage empathy by discussing how others might feel in difficult situations.
15. How to Swim
Swimming promotes safety and confidence around water. Teach water safety and enroll your child in swim lessons with a qualified instructor. Practice swimming together as a family.
16. Self-Defense
Self-defense empowers children and helps them feel safe. Teach situational awareness, boundary-setting, and physical defense. Enroll older children in self-defense classes or martial arts.
17. Riding a Bike
Bike riding promotes fitness, independence, and adventure. Teach bike safety, practice riding in safe areas, and gradually remove training wheels as confidence builds.
18. Using Maps
Map reading helps children navigate the world and develop direction sense. Geocaching and treasure hunts can make learning map skills fun and practical.
19. Basic Sewing
Basic sewing skills, like threading a needle and tying a knot, can be handy. Practice hand-sewing by sewing buttons or repairing small holes in clothing.
Teaching these life lessons is a process, and not all children will be ready to learn them simultaneously. Be patient but persistent. These skills build self-esteem and independence, so stay calm and supportive when mistakes happen.
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