Life skills refers to the skills needed to make the most out of life. These skills are any set of skills needed to deal well and effectively with the challenges of life. Many of these five skills are now second nature to us adults, so it can be difficult to remember which skills our kids need to learn before leaving the nest. Below are five life skills that should help your child.

1. Managing Money

A life skill that could literally make or break their success as an adult is managing money. Parents can begin to teach kids about money as soon as they are able to talk. Examining your own attitudes about money before teaching your children. Children learn a lot about how to handle money by watching their parents.

Teaching your child about money is not very difficult, giving them an allowance and letting them choose how to spend it is a good start. Once they understand that people use money to buy things they want, the allowance will help them begin to know budgeting. Asking your child to help around the house with chores in order to earn their allowance is a real-life example. Showing them how to save this money they’ve earned in a piggy bank or bank account and watching it grow will show them why saving is important. Before your child buys something with their hard earned money, review the alternative ways of spending that money to emphasize the necessity of making wise decisions.

2. Standing Up For Themselves

Adults are often in situations where they have to advocate for themselves. Asking for a raise, letting a stranger know that they cut in line, or telling a waiter that the bill isn’t right. Although this can be tricky, since parents tend to speak up and advocate for their kids. Instead, children should be encouraged to take the lead and stand up for themselves. These moments will help build kids’ confidence and set them up for greater success as adults.

3. Learning How To Cook

This is an important tip for both kids and adults. Studies show that families who frequently cook meals at home eat healthier and consume fewer calories than those who cook less. Teaching your child how to cook often means setting them up for a healthier future. Another benefit of home-cooked meals is that they are often less expensive than prepared foods.

Asking your child to help plan out a meal for the family will help them understand the importance of a healthy diet and also incorporate monetary management. Budgeting out a certain amount of money then getting them to choose the menu for that night or following day helps them for their future. Once you have the food needed to prepare the meal, teaching them the basics of cleaning food and preparing it safely will ensure positive habits in the future.

4. Time Management

Time is a luxury, you can get money back, but you cannot get time back. Teaching children correct time management from an early age provides a solid foundation for the rest of their lives. Managing time is a life skill that kids need to learn in order to successfully manage their future selves. Having to balance a hectic college schedule and extracurricular activities won’t be possible without solid time management skills.

Although it may be tempting to dictate what your child does on a daily basis, you should let your kids practice their time management independently. Encouraging them to create a ‘to-do’ list, prioritizing that list, and then executing the tasks will help engrain positive time management skills.

5. Willingness To Learn

Lastly, encouraging your children to always be curious. If they don’t know the answer to a question or are stuck with something, get them to ask. Having the initiative to increase the understanding of the world around you is important for growth. Most people associate learning with a formal education, but learning can, and should, be a lifelong process.

Children are naturally eager to learn, even if not to study. Keeping them engaged with lots of learning opportunities will continue this desire to learn trend into the future.

Walton Academy

Walton Academy is a private school located in Greenville, North Carolina, and we are always looking to improve students’ learning. While we are not with them over the summer, we hope parents can get involved and incorporate education into their daily activities. Learn more today!