
In less than thirty days with two birthdays on the horizon, this clan will have 5 teenagers. Yes, five out of our seven kiddos will be/are TEENAGERS! As parents, we spend a lot of time ensuring that our teens are fully equipped with the life skills that are needed to flourish in adulthood. This is a progressive list and we don’t expect them to hit thirteen and have all of a sudden mastered all SEVENTY of these skills. However, it is our hope that by the time they leave the nest, they are highly informed on what it takes to not only sustain a healthy quality of life on their own but to be successful.
Here are 70 Life Skills Your Teen Should Know Before Leaving Home:
- How to properly address an envelope
- How to read a map without the use of Waze, Google Maps or any other map app
- How to pay a bill
- Understand how to create and utilize a budget
- Know their SSN number
- Know their parent’s phone number by memory
- How to write their signature
- How to use a dictionary or encyclopedia (sans Google)
- How to properly wash, fold and iron their clothes
- Cook a balanced meal! (Ramen Noodles does not count as a balanced meal, LOL)
- How to deposit a check
- How to take public transport home if they lost their cellphone
- How to change a tire or check oil levels
- How to read a second-hand watch
- How to properly self-advocate
- What a credit report and credit score is
- How to fill out a job application
- How to write a resume
- How to use a debit card/credit card machine/ ATM
- How to balance a checkbook/finances
- How to open a bank account
- Self Defense Techniques
- How to write a check and fill out a money order
- How to interview or be interviewed
- How to conduct themselves at a business lunch or dinner with dignitaries
- How to sew a button on their clothes.
- How to place a 911 call calmly
- How to share their own beliefs and respect the beliefs of others
- How to behave on a date (For our older teens)
- Understand the medical power of attorney
- Understand their parents will and how wills work
- Know their medical background and their maternal and paternal medical background
- Sex education
- How to save, invest, and manage credit
- How to maintain personal hygiene
- Know the how and whys behind the physical changes they are experiencing and how to manage them
- Time Management Skills
- How to manage their stress
- How to create a self-care plan
- How to effectively communicate their feeling and deal with uncomfortable ones
- Social Media and Online Gaming Etiquette
- How to meal plan and grocery shop alone
- How to deal with failure
- Know table manners
- How to properly clean and disinfect a bathroom and kitchen
- How to pump gas
- How to properly write a professional email (Hey! is not a formal greeting and U is not equivalent to YOU)
- Know their home address
- How to make appointments
- How to fill out applications and forms
- How to show gratitude
- The effects of interest rates
- How to perform the Heimlich and basic first aid
- Know the phone number of their emergency contact (not just parents)
- Know the name of the closest hospital
- Know how to put out a grease fire
- How to use a fire extinguisher
- How to appropriately interact with the opposite sex
- How to implement conflict resolution
- How credit cards and loans work
- What their GPA really means
- Know that therapy is always an option
- Know the art of negotiation
- How to stay organized
- How to conduct a job search
- How to embrace change
- What to do if they are pulled over or addressed by police
- Know how to identify their self worth
- Know the importance of individuality
- Understand that minding their own business and drinking plenty of water will keep them out of a lot of unnecessary drama!
And yes I know that even as adults we encounter many of our highly capable peers who have yet to master some of these essential life skills! This is why I can’t stress enough the importance of teaching our children as much as we can before we offer them to the world to figure things out on their own.
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