For the most part, our schools tend to teach children how to count, read, and write. Where can they learn everything else they need to know? There are many skills that children need to be successful as they grow up– some are basic, some are reasonably complex — yet children need to master those in order to engage in the sort of social, emotional, and practical wherewithal to be good at life. According to child development experts, career planners, and business leaders, here is where parents can start to ensure that we prepare kids for whatever the world throws their way.
1. Practice good manners.
Raising kids with good manners and great people skills are gifts that will serve them for a lifetime. Thus, parents should take time to train kids in the art of self-respect and respect for others. Having etiquette is not a thing of the past, and it is a daily routine as we deal with others regularly. It is still a useful skill; if kids show respect for others, others will show respect for them also. We can start with some of the basics below:
“Greetings.” (Good morning, good afternoon)
“I am sorry.”
“May I.”
“Please.”
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you.”
“Excuse me.”
2. Kids should know how to have good hygiene.
As we teach children to care for themselves, it seems a no ending chore. The more we nag at them to take a shower or to brush their teeth – it seems, the less they respond – but these skills are crucial, and they must eventually embrace them on their own. Kids resent those activities because they feel like work, but if we make them fun earlier on, they will eventually accept them until they recognize their necessity.
3. Kids should know how to clean their rooms.
Kids should know to keep their space organize and value what they have. They should know how to fix their bed and wash their linens by the age of 10. They should experiment with sweeping, mopping, and dusting, but more importantly, make sure they understand why and how to organize their room and keep it uncluttered. Being organized is an excellent skill that would help them later in life.
4. Kids should know how to dress themselves.
Kids should know how to dress themselves, weather appropriate and any occasion. It is more than just putting on shirts and pants. It is about helping kids learn how to dress fashionably and nicely: by picking out matching and mixing colors and pairing solids with prints and with the right shoes to match and adequately tie their shoelaces. This activity is not just for boys but also girls – Girls should know how to fashionably style their hair and wear appropriate attire for specific occasions. It is a way to help kids make decisions independently, express themselves, create their style, and feel confident about their choices.
5. Kids should have good table manners.
It is unnerving to watch colleagues at a company function, trying to maneuver around the dinner. This knowledge is instrumental and priceless. Kids should know how to navigate the dining room table gracefully: Napkin should be on their lap once seated and then on their chair or folds back on the table if they have to excuse themselves. They should know not interrupt, ask to pass a dish rather than reaching over, no chewing with open mouth, or talking with a full mouth. Plus, they should know how to set the table and plate setting arrangement- from left to right, the fork goes first, plate, knife, and then spoon, with the water glass above the knife.
6. Kids should know how to ride a bike.
Kids should learn to ride a bike because it keeps them fit physically, improves their coordination and balance, improves focus, and as they mature. It is an environmentally friendly and inexpensive way to move around. By the age of seven, kids should have a sturdy bike – where they learn how to balance in a flat, traffic-free paved area.
7. Kids should know how to swim.
The American Academy of Pediatrics does not mandate swim classes for children under four, but by five years old, children should be able to thread the water and start getting a handle of their swimming skills. Now than ever before, there are public pools available in most cities and private lessons all around. Kids should not get hurt or died due to the inability to swim. Parents should take the time and responsibility to make sure their kids learn this fun and lifesaving skill.
8. Kids should know how to cook/fix something to eat
Learning to cook provides so many benefits, and when kids learn that skill, they also learn how to be creative, use real-world math in real situations, safely use hot and sharp objects, and learn to appreciate tasty and nutritious foods. If kids are below the age of five, they should know how to fix a bowl of cereals and milk. If taught well, by seven, they should be able to make a sandwich, boil an egg, and scrambled one with supervision with toast.
9. Kids should know how to reach their parents.
Kids should know their full name and their parents’ name by the age of four. Any child of average intelligence should memorize their full address and phone number by the age of five. A ten-year-old should also know relevant email addresses of their parents and cell numbers close family members. Work the information into a song if need be, use rhyming games, or post the information prominently around the house — whatever it takes that this information sticks.
10. Kids should know how to carry a conversation.
Kids must learn how to carry a conversation, even with the troubling statistics of texting being their favorite communication mode with teens. Kids will eventually need to know how to carry face-to-face conversations to ace college, job interviews, and develop close, lasting, honest relationships with others. Help your children to stay engage with family interactions. Parents should continue to have conversations with kids with open-ended questions about their days and by discouraging handheld devices at the dinner table.
11. Kids should know how to react to an emergency.
Kids should know how to react to an urgent situation or how they should handle essential first aid skills that can help them in an emergency:
Know when and how to dial 911 and what to say;
Use ice if an injury starts to swell; run cold water over a burn;
Pinch the nose to stop a nosebleed;
Stop, drop, and roll if their clothing catches on fire;
Apply pressure if there is a bleeding cut;
12.Kids should know how to stay safe online.
Now that most kids have a cell phone, parents should guide their kids on avoiding dangerous contents, websites, and predators online. They need to understand and distinguish between authentic and fake news. Families have a responsibility to speak to their kids about the danger of the internet.
13. Kids should know how to use their GPS, a map, and tracking devices.
Kids should be spatially aware because it is a skill that saves lives – it can help them find their way home just in case they get lost. Kids should mentally map out their neighborhood, school ground, or their favorite community playground. It is a good practice to challenge children to help navigate the daily drive to school. It is also a good habit to teach them how to follow verbal directions or GPS from their phones – a critical modern skill.
14. Kids should have a solid handshake.
Parents should be responsible that kids know how to give a firm handshake when they greet someone, make direct eye contact, listen attentively, and not cutting others off mid-sentence — these are very important skills, given how many attention-grabbing gadgets we own, designed to take our attention away from making face-to-face contact. Why? They instill confidence, earn trust, and are a solid foundation for a healthy social life. Start by teaching them an old-fashioned handshake:
§ Step 1: Make eye contact with the belly button and toes pointing directly towards the person they are greeting.
§ Step 2: Smile as they squeeze the other person’s hand like grabbing a jug of milk – not too hard, nor too soft.
§ Step 3: Shake up and down no more than twice while smiling and maintaining eye contact at the same time.
15. Kids should learn how to chill out and be alone with their thoughts.
Kids should know to be still and be mindful of their environment. Parents should teach their kids that being rambunctious have its time and place. Studies show that the teaching of mindfulness practices can help kids become more respectful, attentive, focused while reducing stress levels and hyperactive behaviors. It is not too early to get started kids into meditation – start easy: Ask them to sit still, relax, and focus on breathing. It is a useful education on the vital art of sitting and being still. They also should know how be able to be alone without stimulation and constant distraction.
16. Kids should know how to care for another living being or thing.
Nothing teaches kids compassion and empathy than caring for a pet or a younger sibling. Giving a pet to a kid to care for, and help keep it alive teaches children responsibility and selfless love. If you are not ready for a family dog yet, consider a houseplant, a goldfish, or butterflies.
17. Kids should know how to make changes.
Gone are the days of the payphone or bus fare that required loose changes, but kids should still know how to count their money and make sure they can give and receive accurate change when completing their transactions. It is a good practice to challenge them with some practice transactions with an added incentive: whenever they give correct coins back, they get to keep the change for their savings.
18. Kids should know how to save.
Saving money is not an easy task if you are untrained, so the earlier we start our children to buy into the saving money mentality, the better. At first, allow them to spend half of their allowance on anything they want and then add the rest into a piggy bank. Once they have over $100 saved up — then open a savings account. Be sure to get them online access to the account, show them how they can manage their money via browser effectively, and get them into the mindset of building a long-term savings plan.
19. Kids should have a robust imagination.
The ability to make a story up on a whim and imagine something totally impossible will be the key to the future. Creativity is one of the vital skills CEOs are seeking for in large companies. There are many ways to encourage creativity in our kids — always make time for drawing, creative writing, and having a free-flowing and ad-lib story-telling time before bed.
20. Kids should know how to write a “thank you” note, a letter/email.
Kids need to know how to compose a pleasant “thank you” note after receiving a gift, write a letter to a friend or email to a family member. Even in the era of selfies and emojis, parents should have a stake in their kids’ ability to have the necessary writing skills. They need to teach them how to compose a formal letter (heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature) and should also learn properly that an email, and even text messages, can also be formally written.
