Kids are learning so much from the internet age, but they're usually ill-equipped to parse the information overload and learn something useful. What they need are important life skills for children that will equip them for life.
In our effort to give our children the best life we can give them, we tend to forget about teaching them practical life skills, like doing the laundry, cooking, or washing the dishes.
A recent study by online security company AVG Technologies revealed that although 58% of three to five year olds in the USA know their way around a smartphone, less than 15% of these kids can make their own breakfast. That's one out of six kids.
“I see many parents doing everything for their kids instead of letting them figure out how to fend for themselves,” says Tim Elmore, founder of Growing Leaders, a nonprofit in Norcross, Georgia, that works with schools and civic groups to promote leadership qualities in children.
As early as you can, you can teach your kids the joy of independence. Try not to force them to do things. Instead, focus on how they don't have to wait for you to get things done. They can have food and clean clothes when they want them!
Important life skills for children
1. Doing the laundry
When your kids go to college and they're stuck somewhere without access to a laundromat, what are they going to do? Are they going to just wait it out wear one set of clothing for days?
Too many teenagers go into their adulthood without learning how to wash their clothes. Don't let your kids become one of them. You can teach your kids to wash their clothes as early as six years old – with adult supervision, of course.
If you have a top-loading washing machine at home, make sure you have a stool ready for your little kid. Teach him how you do the laundry by walking him through the process step by step, from measuring and adding the detergent, to choosing the settings, then starting the machine.
Blogger Amy Mascott (TeachMama.com) taught her three children, who are nine, 10, and 12 years of age, how to do the laundry. She even named each part of the process something that her kids would remember, like Wash Warrior, Super-Fly Dry Guy, and Put ’Em Away Triple Play.
There were times when the kids didn't do it perfectly, like the time they folded and put away a whole load of clothes while damp. “But I’m not aiming for perfection. I’m aiming for them to get the job done,” she said.
2. Planting a Seedling
This is a life skill for children that will help them gain an interest in making their own food.
Many kids today are taught how to plant seeds in class. But usually, this isn't followed up by a lesson on how to transfer sprouts into a garden.
Whitney Cohen, coauthor of The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids, listed the following gardening steps in her book:
- Ask your child to dig a hole that’s slightly larger than the container the plant is in.
- Once you remove the plant from the pot and place it in the hole, have her delicately push soil around it and pat it down.
- Let your child water it with a gentle stream from a watering can with a perforated nozzle.
- By age six or seven, your child can remove a seedling himself. Have him split two fingers apart so the stem of the plant goes between them, then squeeze the outside of the container until the plant comes out. If the roots are wound tightly, he should loosen them a few at a time before planting.
3. Giftwrapping
It's highly probable that your child will, from the bottom of his young pure heart, want to give gifts to his best friends (or crushes, some day). So why not help him? Once you teach him how to wrap gifts, he's going to make it rain with gifts like a mini Santa Claus!
You can teach your kids how remove the price tag and find the right container for the gift, whether it's a paper bag or a box. Then, you can also teach them different styles of folding paper. Next, you can help them cut paper using scissors, and then stick on tape.
Now, the tape part is going to be tricky. They will make mistakes and that's okay. Tell them to just try again, and they'll be fine!
4. Hammering a nail (and other home repairs!)
You can start your kid (preferably eight-years-old) on a seven- to nine-ounce hammer that they can practice with. Some home-improvement shops sell tools for kids.
They can practice with soft wood (like pine, poplar, or cedar). To get started, hold the wood in place with a clamp or a vise, or just place it on the ground.
Start your kids on nails with wide heads to they're easier to hit, and always do it first so they can follow your example. Go for a few tries, just with light taps, and keep practicing until he or she gets the hang of it.
5. Writing a letter
You can teach your kids how to properly write and format a letter, how to attach stamps, and drop it in the mailbox. They can even enhance letters with their drawings!
Start with how your kids can start letters ("Dear..." or "Greetings!") before writing the body, then a closing remark (Sincerely, Truthfully yours, etc), then their signature. Next time you're writing holiday cards, have them help, too!
6. Cooking a meal
Ask your child to help you prepare meals. You can start them with helping you set the table. Then you can move them up, by having them help you with preparing the ingredients, like peeling potatoes and washing fresh vegetables.
When they're around eight years old and above, you can help train them in using a knife. Just make sure they use a small knife that fits their hands. Guide them every step of the way so they can avoid any accidents.
Don't worry if it's just making prep time longer. This is a good bonding time between you and your child as they learn. When they get used to the work, they can help more in the future and you can cut prep time in half!
7. Navigating
Since kids know their way around phones anyway, having them navigate for you teaches them how to better communicate data. It's a great way to sharpen their spatial abilities and their communication skills.
8. First aid
This is one of the most important life skills for children you can teach them.
You can help your children learn how not to freak out when they see blood. (Just don't overreact yourself, keep calm and chill out!) Teach them what to do when an accident happens by running them through various scenarios. The more they practice, the more their reaction to accidents will become automatic.
9. Cleaning the bathroom
Always have a rag or a sponge around in the bathroom and ask your kids to wipe away gobs of toothpaste or soap suds on the sink. (And make sure they have a stool to stand on!) This will help them get started on cleaning the bathroom, then they can move on to the more difficult tasks.
Later on, the kids can clean the floor, the shower area, and the toilet, which requires greater skill. They can also clean the lid, the seat, and the base of the toilet.
Just make sure they wear a face mask and gloves to protect them from the fumes of the disinfectant. Clean with them until they're ready to clean the bathroom alone. Make sure you tell them to wash their hands thoroughly afterwards and take a shower.
10. Smart shopping
You don't want your kids to just buy junk food when they're grown up. So teaching them how to be smart consumers is important. This is one of those life skills for children that you have to teach because it involves their ability to make decisions and handle money.
Compare products of different brands and talk about how their prices vary. Give him or her an allowance and assign them things to buy. The more they can fit within the budget (without sacrificing quality), the better.
Teaching life skills for children
Teaching life skills for children is no easy feat. But it's important that you teach them these skills so they can take care of themselves in the future.
Republished with permission from: theAsianParent Singapore