As parents, you most definitely want what’s best for your child. Therefore, it must be your constant effort at every point in life to ensure that you raise your kid’s right. Of course, you cannot instil every skill in your child, but certain life skills must be imparted from the parent to the child.
Here, we are not talking about skills, such as riding a bike, playing a musical instrument, or driving a stick shift, but rather the vital life skills that make them valuable, respectable, and responsible citizens in society.
Therefore, let us address a few life skills that you must impart to your children.
Teach them never to stop learning or reading
As humans, we must learn and evolve every day. So, you may be 10, 30, 50, or 80; you must never stop learning. Constantly learning helps you grow and build a perspective that you need to outshine and stand out from the crowd of 100. This habit will help them stand out in the class of 50 and also in the job interviews.
One of the best ways to learn and develop new skills is by reading. Naturally, the more you read, the more you learn. However, learning more should not always mean putting unnecessary pressure on your child. It could be any skill or hobby that naturally attracts them or may help in your career.
You can check out some online courses on TangoLearn. There is everything from the reiki and spiritual healing courses to the language courses. Depending on your child’s interests, you can motivate them to take courses.
Learning more makes the child receptive and open-minded. Hence, they are more accepting when life throws some lessons their way.
Teach them how to say no politely
Yes, they must be open to new challenges, new food, new situations, and new experiences, but it is equally important to turn down things they do not like and appreciate. However, when they do it, they should be polite about it.
Unfortunately, even adults do not know how to say know tactfully. Consequently, they end up doing things they do not want to. For instance, you may be overwhelmed by the deadlines and the projects you are working on that you have absolutely no time for more, but then your boss burdens you with another assignment, and you end up accepting it too. This is going to take a toll on your mental health and add to your stress.
So, you must know how to set boundaries and say no. Similarly, your child may not want to try their first drink with a group of friends. They may not know how they will be able to handle it, but merely because of peer pressure, it is an early life lesson that you must teach them how to say no.
Team them about striking a balance between appearance and intelligence
There are two different sets of people in today’s generation, and there is rarely a balance between them. One is all about looks and appearances, and the other is solely about studies or work. Which one do you think is a winner? In our opinion, it is definitely neither of them. There has to be a balance to help you evolve as an overall individual. You need to be well-groomed, and you also need to be sharp from the head. If you are solely focused on the former, you will look shallow, whereas when you are focused on the latter, people may not give you the respect and the appreciation you deserve.
So, sharpen your mind, and also your appearance. Your child must be updated about the latest trends in fashion, hairstyles, shoes and know everything in vogue. Simultaneously, they must be updated about what’s happening in the world around them. You can check out some of the finest grooming products, such as the best balding clippers or the perfumes and shower gels, and simultaneously some of the best mathematics, science, web development, or 3D modeling courses, and gift them both before they leave for their hostel. This balance is necessary and will prove helpful for them in life
Team them the fundamentals of cooking and cleaning
Regardless of whether your child is going to stay in a hostel or at home, they must know basic cleaning and cooking. They would not (and should not) be dependent on you all their life. From early on in life, they must know how to clean their room and wash their undergarments.
More so, you are not always going to be at home when they are hungry, and that should not be their excuse to make Maggie or order in. They must have the confidence to turn on the flame and make something that feeds their stomach.
Teach them how to shave
Both men and women need this skill, and it is not gender-specific. Now, before you go all judgemental, let us put it out there for you – We do not think body hair is bad or gross. However, we also believe that men must know how to maintain a beard, and both men and women must know how to take care of their personal hygiene.
For them, they need to know how to use the razor right. This is not the skill they learn from YouTube or their friends. It is life’s most important skill, yet parents never impart it to their children. Your kids are growing, and they will experience hair on the weird parts of their body that they may not like and appreciate.
So, teach them how to get rid of it without pushing them down into an inferiority complex. You can check out some of the best shavers and trimmers for beginners on RazorHood.
So, these are five of the essential life lessons that you must impart to your teenage girls and boys. Remember, the list is only inclusive. So, if you have a teenager at home, and there’s something that you are firm about teaching them, do share it with us in the comments below. It surely will help other parent readers.
