Teaching life skills to your children is something too important to leave to someone else. While they might learn how to read or do math at their local school, there are some things YOU have to do.
Here are a few important life skills you should teach your children so they can be successful in life, and help them gain a sense of responsibility at a young age:
Life Skill #1. Prepare and Stick to a Budget
Being financially responsible is one of the most important skills your child can have. It won’t matter if they make millions of dollars a year. If they can’t manage their money, they will end up in the same bankruptcy court as someone with no income at all.
Let them control small amounts of money from a young age, and eventually move them up to taking out small loans and saving. Using an online budgeting program is a great way to teach them how to keep track of all their finances.
Life Skill #2. How to Take Care of a Car
Everyone, boys and girls, should learn the basics of how their primary means of transportation works. Teach them to change a tire, change their own oil, and plan car maintenance. At the very least, make sure they know the basics of how a car works so they can do their own small repairs if needed.
Life Skill #3. Cleaning a House
Many parents want to make life easier for their children, but they will have to live on their own someday. That means they need to know how to do laundry, mop a floor, wash dishes, and pretty much everything else around the house.
LIfe Skill #4. Planning and Cooking Meals
Your children will also need to know how to shop for groceries, plan meals, and cook a few meals. Start them early by having them hunt for coupons and accompanying you on shopping trips.
As they get older, involve them in meal planning and preparation. Bonus: kids are more likely to eat vegetables if they got to pick them out.
Life Skill #5. Balancing a Checkbook and Managing Bank Accounts
Open a savings account and have them track their balance from month to month when kids are young. Around middle school, kids are able to grasp the basics of a checking account, but make sure you double-check their math.
Before they leave the home, they need to know where to find cheap checks (and how to write one), how to compare interest rates, and how to calculate bank fees.
Life Skill #6. The Importance of Exercise
Getting your kids into a fitness routine is a habit that will follow them through the rest of their lives. Exercise has been proven to prevent many diseases and illnesses, as well as stress. If they are active at a young age, your children will likely continue that lifestyle when they are older, which will keep them healthy.
This doesn’t mean you have to take them to the gym with you or schedule morning walks and workouts. Simply playing without them outside or getting them involved in community or school sports is great. When they are having fun while exercising, they will want to continue doing it.
There are many essential life skills a school won’t teach your kids. However, teaching your children these important skills doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Have fun with your kids while you teach them these principles that will be sure to have a positive impact in their lives.
Anita Ginsburg is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She writes about finance, home and family, and business. A mother of two, she enjoys spending time with her family and reading a good book when she isn’t writing. Please let Anita know if you liked her article by using the Stars and Thumbs below. Thank you.
