Essential Life Skills For Teens To Learn

It takes no time for children to grow up into teenagers and then adults and have a personality and life of their own. However, children may have to fly the nest for a better career and carve a niche for themselves. Read on to know how to introduce essential life skills for teens as they play a pivotal role in getting adjusted sooner and surviving the crossroadsfeedandseed.com challenges of life during this transition. Plunge into this post as we bring you a list of the basic life skills your teenagers should know before entering the real world.According to a School Education Gateway survey, slightly more than half of the respondents (52%) believed that life skills should be taught at all levels of schooling. However, the remaining responses varied widely, with 22% of participants asserting that primary education is the ideal time for teaching everyday life skills, 12% favoring Early Childhood Education and Care, 11% choosing lower secondary education, and only 3% opting for upper secondary education.

1. Money or Budgeting skills

Money may not be the most important thing in life, but it certainly is vital for a comfortable life. That is why financial literacy is an important skill to learn as a teenager.

Budgeting skills help teenagers learn the value of money, conscious spending, and planning for the future.

Some important financial concepts you can help them learn are as follows:

• Make a budget and stick to it. Your children should know when to spend and when to save.
• Every teen must know how to open a bank account, use the ATM, transfer money online, and write a check.
• Apply for a credit card, how to use it, and how not to get into debt using a credit card. The most important lesson your child should learn here is how credit works and how quickly they can get sucked into a whirlpool of debt if they are not careful.
• Save money to buy or invest in something for emergencies.
• Give money to charity without going overboard.
• Maintain financial records.
• Assess the basic market value of goods.

2. Cooking or food skills

Knowing how to procure food or cook food is one of the primary life skills for teenagers. Teach them the below basic food skills to survive in any part of the world.

• Buying groceries is essential to cook. One of the important skills here is to be able to identify different ingredients and know where they are available.
• Learn ways to use kitchen appliances, such as microwaves, coffee makers, dishwashers, and toasters.
• Know about different utensils and cutlery items and their use in food preparation.
• Prepare a healthy meal with the ingredients available. Teach your teen the basics of cooking a decent meal using simple ingredients.
• Know the right ways to store food. You want your children to know where and how to store different food products like fresh produce, packaged food, and liquids.
• Besides knowing about the importance of having nutrient-rich food every day, they should also know how to read food labels for nutrition and ingredient information.
• They should be aware of the health hazards of eating too much junk food.

3. Dress sense or clothing skills

Your teenagers might change their style completely owing to external influences, but the chances are they may get influenced by the wrong people. So, here is how they get one of the everyday skills right.

• Picking the right-sized clothes and a decent outfit.
• Choosing the right kind of clothes for the right occasion.
• Sewing is a skill both men and women can benefit from.
• Iron a shirt, trousers or suit. What is more important is to distinguish between clothes that need ironing and those that don’t (we don’t want them ironing their jeans now, do we?).
• Do the laundry. Teach your teen to wash clothes by hand or use a washing machine and deal with simple stains.
• Fold clothes and put them neatly in their cupboard. You do not want a messy closet at home or away.
• Pack a suitcase.
• Read and understand fabric labels.
• Gently tell your teen what their clothes say about them and the level of respect they would get in certain situations such as interviews or among the opposite sex.

4. Personal grooming

Grooming is a skill that children need to learn early on. Personal grooming is important to develop independence, stay healthy and have a good social or romantic life.

• Teach them healthy habits like brushing and bathing daily.
• Explain the importance of keeping their bodies clean. In addition, they must know how to care for their skin and hair.
• Boys should know how to shave or maintain facial hair hygienically.
• Teach girls to stay clean during their periods, proper disposal of sanitary pads, etc.

5. Cleanliness and hygiene

Cleanliness is one of the tenets of hygiene. Teach your children to keep themselves and their surroundings clean and tidy. It is part of their grooming and home management skills. Some of the basic things that your teen could do include:

• Dusting and vacuuming.
• Mopping floors and getting rid of cobwebs.
• Keeping bathrooms and toilets clean.
• Keeping the kitchen clean.
• Clearing garbage regularly.
• Eliminating clutter from time to time.
• Knowing how to clean dishes by hand, (not all homes have dishwashers).