As parents, our goal is to raise happy, healthy and impactful children. To do so, we must start early, be patient and have a plan! And the basic foundation of our plan should consist of life skills that our kids can utilize throughout their lives.
Parents hope their kids become self-sufficient, helpful children (way easier for us that way!) and then grow into well rounded adults. Healthy habits established in children’s lives will continue to benefit them into adulthood.
When considering life skills to teach your little ones, consider their ages and your routine. From preschool on up you can start to establish skills to make them more independent! To get started, consider these five life skills that will help kids as an adult:
Listening
“According to the American College of Education, the best way for you to help your child with listening is by listening to them!” Children are visual, so show them you are listening by looking them in the eye when they speak, don’t be distracted and answer their questions quickly. These same listening cues are just as important when you are an adult! Children who can listen to directions and other people are the same adults who thrive in the workplace and grow healthy relationships.
See here for more great habits to teach kids
Sportsmanship
Not everyone can win and in the “real world” participation trophies will not be handed out. Losing doesn’t really get easier as an adult but the sooner your child learns the value of sportsmanship, the better equipped they’ll be to handle the losing moments. So help your child understand how losing is learning; losing will help them grow and realize how far they’ve come and accomplished.
Kindness
“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love,” Lao Tzu
The benefits of being kind are overwhelming! Teach your child to be kind to others and animals by modeling it for them with kind words and actions.The more we spread kindness in the world the better off we are because no act of kindness is ever wasted.
Money Management
A life skill that is easily overlooked but necessary to succeed. The sooner your child understands the concept of money, the value of an item and the work ethic to receive it, the better they will understand as an adult the importance of properly handling their money. Easy ways to start are setting up an allowance system, creating a bank account for them and guiding them on spending, saving and giving.
Be punctual
I’ll admit, this one can be hard for me even as an adult. Getting out of the house on time with multiple kids can be a real struggle, but I still try because being punctual shows respect for others and their time. Whether it’s school work or a project at work, turning it in on time will be expected in order to succeed. And kids that understand the value of time will be less likely to waste it.
Parents have a lot on their plate already so don’t feel discouraged if you haven’t taught your kid the value of a dollar or are still yelling at them for the hundredth time to pick up their clothes because they refuse to listen. Life skills are meant to become habits so they carry through into adulthood. So just try to teach with patience, model good behavior for them and know that your child will grow into a healthy, happy and impactful adult.