According to a recent survey conducted by AVG Technologies, 58% of 3 to 5-year-olds in the USA are able to operate a smartphone, as opposed to only 15% being able to prepare a simple breakfast for themselves. In such a technology-driven world, it is more important than ever before to teach our offspring a range of practical life skills. While the education system does make provision for the teaching of a variety of skills, every mom should take it upon herself to prepare her children as much as possible for the outside world. Of the countless skills that will undoubtedly serve a child well throughout life, three, in particular, can make a huge difference as a child transitions into adulthood.
Valuable Life Skills
Preparing Healthy Meals
With nearly 160 million Americans qualifying as either overweight or obese, teaching your children how to prepare healthy meals may turn out to be a life-saving exercise. You can rope in children from as young as 5 years to assist you in making healthy sandwiches and delicious smoothies, while older children can tackle more intricate recipes first under your careful supervision, and then on their own. Salads are generally easy to make, and you can even put a healthy spin on popular foods such as burgers and pizza to highlight the existence of tasty, nutritious food. By showing your children that cooking can be fun, you not only teach them a wonderful life skill, but also contribute towards their health and well-being as well. If your children show an interest in cooking, consider giving them access to the internet, where they can browse tutorials that will hone their skills even further.
Performing Basic Car Maintenance Tasks
Cars are expensive, and need to be looked after properly. By teaching children how to perform basic maintenance tasks that every car owner should be familiar with, you instill a very important sense of responsibility in them as well. While overhauling an engine or doing major body repairs should be left to the professionals, anyone can learn how to change windscreen wipers, replace spark plugs, and even perform small paint touch-ups. The latter is a lot easier than you might imagine, as long as quality paint is combined with a basic skill set. A typical review of Automotive Touch Up reiterates the importance of using quality paint when doing touch-ups, and by doing so you can end up saving a lot of money on professional paint jobs. Remember that although automotive repairs and maintenance are typically associated with men, nothing prevents you from teaching your daughter how to look after a car as well.
Managing Money
Although money management skills are often perceived to be rather rudimentary, they remain of the utmost importance in a somewhat erratic economy. When you go shopping, show your children how to compare prices of similar items, and vocalize the reasoning behind your own purchase decisions to them. Children as young as 6 can, with your help, learn how to budget with a small allowance. Encourage your children to save up for something they want rather than simply buying it for them, and don’t bail them out if they spend all their allowance in a single day. By taking the time to teach your child the importance of living frugally, you can help them avoid harrowing financial pitfalls later in life, which could otherwise be of great detriment to both them and their families.
Teaching your child valuable skills is one of the greatest gifts you can bestow upon them. Not only will it make it significantly easier to adjust to adulthood, but they will also be a lot more confident in their own ability to face the world head-on.
