I hear a lot of talk these days about teaching life skills to children. I’m pretty sure my grandparents, great-grandparents, and the scores of generations that came before them never used the term “life skills.” They taught children the sort of things that we refer to as life skills because these are the things people needed to know in order to survive.
However, many young people who are getting out in the world today don’t have these basic skills. They don’t know how to balance a checkbook, do laundry, follow a recipe, change a tire, etc. What are all of the life skills that young people need? Here’s a comprehensive list.
(Click on the image to download a larger, printable copy of the list.)
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It seems a little overwhelming when you look at life skills on a big list like this. In reality, though, it’s not that daunting. These are things we do routinely. If we bring our kids alongside us as we go about everyday life, they’ll learn these skills, too. A few of the skills (like changing a tire, for example) may require we set aside a few minutes some afternoon for a special lesson, but with a handy list like this, we can be sure to cover all the important skills!
What skills am I missing? What would you add to this list?
