9 important skills we owe it to our kids to teach them

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Our children are the first generation in history to grow up in a world where the internet has always existed. Many of them know how to work an iPhone before they can talk.

In many ways, their generation will have incredible potential and the ability to create and excel at

things that didn’t even exist when we were children.

All of that is incredible, but the one downside to the “app

generation” is that many of them are making it to adulthood without some basic life skills.

I often wonder what my grandfather’s generation would think

of our current generation of children. My guess is that the child from my grandparent’s generation would excel at practical skills and

academics. The child from our current generation would, of course, excel at

technology.

With all the benefits of technology, we shouldn’t let these basic and important skills be lost to time…

Cooking

• Statistically, we all cook less than we did a few decades ago, and we eat out more often.

• My grandparents talked of a time when almost every meal was cooked at home. Statistically, people were also thinner and healthier at that time.

• Of course, there are many factors involved, but experts continually warn that eating out is linked to obesity and other health problems.

• All of us have to eat, and most of us eat multiple times a day. Cooking is one of the most useful skills we can teach our children, and most of them really enjoy learning it!

• I highly recommend this online video course for teaching kids of all ages to cook! “Mrs. Kimball” (a licensed teacher) teaches basic to advanced skills for kids of all ages.

Swimming

• This skill isn’t as useful as cooking, but it can certainly be life-saving if it is ever needed.

• Recreational swimming or swim teams can be really fun and a great source of exercise for kids who enjoy the water.

• Swim lessons are available in many places!

Budgeting

• Many adults don’t even have a clear picture of their monthly finances and expenses.

• 38% of adults in the US report having credit card debt of some kind, with the average being over $5,000!

• Teaching kids the basics of finances and teaching them to track and not outspend their income is one way to help them avoid these pitfalls as adults.

• Online programs like Mint make this process simple and kids can start learning to manage finances long before they live on their own.

First Aid

• Babies will put anything in their mouth, and while I thankfully have never needed to use CPR on one of my own, I’m glad to know it in case I ever do need to use it until medical help can arrive.

• On top of that, kids are walking “boo-boo creators”.

• Knowing a skill like CPR won’t benefit you directly, but it is a great skill to have and it may be life-saving for someone else some day!

• Many cities have free or low-cost first aid and CPR classes for kids and adults.

Self Defense

• Thousands of children and young adults are the victim of abuse or assault each year.

• It is sad to think that we live in a world where it is important to teach our kids how to defend themselves, but we do.

• Hopefully this is never a skill that your child has to use in a real-life situation, but there are many benefits to taking self-defense or martial arts classes, including:

- Learning self-control and self-discipline - Gaining confidence- Improving reflexes and balance

Basic Cleaning

• By adulthood, we should all have the ability to keep our living areas clean and livable.

• Teaching kids basic cleaning skills (and helping them learn consistency in cleaning) is also a great way to get them involved in keeping their living space clean now!

Critical Thinking

• There may be many factors to blame, but experts seem to agree that we are seeing a broad decline in critical thinking ability.

• With the vast and unceasing amount of information we encounter on a daily basis, it seems that in many cases, it is easier to just choose to agree with or believe the information or to disagree or disbelieve it, rather than to think critically about it.

• One of the most valuable (and difficult) skills we can teach our children in today’s world is to question information, even from “trusted” sources like textbooks, teachers, and the news.

• It will serve them well to teach them how to think, rather than just what to think.

coding

• The education and hiring worlds are shifting. While a college degree was once almost a guarantee of a job, many of the top companies today are hiring based on skill, not formal education level. This opens many new opportunities for anyone willing to take the initiative to learn.

• Students can easily learn coding online, and in an increasingly technological world, these skills may continue to increase in value.

• We use Codecademy for online instruction on how to code. It is easy to understand and interactive. Any student who is able to read can start learning many different coding languages on this site.

Car Care

• I’ve saved so much money over the years by being able to fix minor car issues myself (or with the help of my dad).

• Even the ability to change a tire can save money and hassle when that skill is needed.

For more information about raising well-rounded kids in a tech-saturated world, Click here.

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