Prepare Your Kids For Life: 5 Essential Skills For Today's Children

It's hard being a parent these days. We have a lot on our plates compared to what our parents had to deal with thanks to a more stressful way of life, and a lot of the times our main focus is on keeping our kids fed with a roof over their head. And not to harp on any parents out there because I do realize how stretched we are for time, but as a result, a lot of kids are going through lives without learning some basic life skills—even when I came into my college years, I was amazed at how little my friends knew about running a house on their own.

Whether their parents were too busy working or just spoiling them rotten, I can't say, but here are some necessary life skills every parent should teach their child in order to prepare them for the world.

1. Homemaking

First off, every child should learn the basic skills for running a home, no matter what their gender. This isn't that hard to pass on because this is all stuff that needs to be done anyways—and by including your children in the household chores, you can actually save some time for yourself once they get it down.

All children should know how to do their own laundry, mop floors, and mend clothes. Even if you have the money to pay someone to do these things for you, that doesn't mean your children will when they move out…at least not right off the bat. It all goes towards being a more independent person.

2. Being a Handyman (or woman)

Another great skill is knowing how to fix things around the house when they break. Children should learn how to change light bulbs, maintain batteries in smoke detectors, fix basic plumbing problems, and paint walls. Knowing how to change the oil in the car and swap out an oil filter is also paramount, and the list goes on. These skills needn't be all taught at once, they can be acquired over years and years.

3. Cooking Delicious, Wholesome Food

Cooking delicious, healthy food should never be overlooked, and young kids are typically fascinated with cooking. At the very least, teach them a few basic meals so they aren't living off of Top Ramen and macaroni n' cheese during their first few years on their own.

I know you don't want to think about that day, but the future will come.

4. Balancing a Budget

Perhaps the most often overlooked life skill children need is financial intelligence, and this is no surprise when you see how most American adults handle their own finances. Don't just teach children how to budget and keep records, though these are important—also teach them how to save money, how to make it work for them, and how to create it out of thin air.

When I was a child, I was always scheming up new projects to make money—from mowing lawns to selling mistletoe, blackberries, and seriously amateur art. My mother encouraged this. The entrepreneurial spirit is a great thing to encourage in these volatile economic times.

5. Dealing with Emergencies

Finally, it is a great feeling to know your children are prepared for the worst, and all kids should be. Every parent needs to teach their children how to deal with strangers, call emergency services, and shut off gas and power switches. But to go even further, you can run your children through emergency drills for possible natural disasters and enroll them in CPR courses.

The CPR courses alone can prove to be an invaluable life lesson.

The great thing about teaching your children these skills, besides the obvious necessity, is they are all things you should know as well. And because they are things most of us do in one form or another on a regular basis, all it takes is getting them involved in what we are doing. It may take a little patience in the beginning, but before you know it, your kid might even be doing your taxes for you.

Suddenly, they are getting invaluable life experience and you are getting a bit of a break—not a bad deal.


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Some of the most important life skills are learned when kids just get to be kids and let loose. Go to to check out great playground equipment and Denver swing sets by clicking the links now!