Practical Life Skills to Teach Your Children

Although home economics classes have disappeared from most schools, kids have a real need to learn the skills associated with running a home and just generally being an independent adult. I didn’t learn how to cook much besides cereal until I was in my early 20s and living on my own—with no more access to a school cafeteria. With plenty of books, web articles and Youtube videos out there, go explore some of these topics with your children, even if you have to learn them to teach them!  

• Cooking/meal planning/grocery shopping/nutrition. When “home ec” is mentioned, you might first think of cooking (and perhaps images of girls wearing poodle skirts with aprons over them). However, there is so much more to learn than how to make a cake or a pot roast. Most kids love to explore in the kitchen—my two especially love to bake (and taste test the end result).  Although schools may impart some basic nutrition information, you can show your children how to plan nutritious meals based on the ingredients you have and what is on sale. Have them help you plan and shop for a week’s worth of meals. Explain what to look for in choosing produce. Teach them a few simple dishes and practice them until they are confident preparing a meal on their own. Look at recipes together and explain basic cooking terms. Teach them to use a can opener, mixer and blender.  If you don’t do a lot of cooking yourself, attending a session at a meal preparation store such as Social Suppers or Dream Dinners can teach kids how to read a recipe, measure, combine ingredients and store food. Food and appliance safety is important to learn as well (says the author whose crock pot CAUGHT ON FIRE this past Thanksgiving).
• Household finance. So many Americans are in debt, which makes clear the fact that personal finance is a subject in which we are not excelling. If you don’t have a budget yourself, making one with your child is a useful endeavor for both of you. Your youngsters might even come up with some categories you hadn’t considered (toys, roller skating, chocolate…). Don’t hesitate to show children how much things cost. Let them watch you pay the bills or balance your bank account online. This is also a good opportunity to discuss with older children your feelings about how money should be discussed outside the home (if at all). Have your child practice buying a toy or other desired item on “credit.”  Do the math together, showing how much the item really costs if he only pays the minimum balance. Younger children can be taught to make change as soon as they have mastered basic addition. Even though coins may disappear by the time your child has a job, I still contend counting out change is a useful skill. Put money your kids have earned or received as gifts into savings accounts so they can earn interest and understand how their money can work for them.
• Garment care. Teach your kids how to decipher clothing labels and how to sort laundry accordingly. Stitching a ripped hem and sewing on a button are useful tasks that everyone should know how to do—and they definitely prolong the life of your clothes. Let kids run some of their own laundry unsupervised, and perhaps by the time they move out, they won’t be bringing bags of dirty clothes home for you. (Don’t forget to show them how to empty the lint trap!)  Turn the iron on low and let kids iron some older sturdy garments until they get the hang of it.
• Household maintenance and basic repairs. If your budget allows (see # 2 above), buy your child her own basic tool kit. Teach her how to hang a picture, work the thermostat, find the fuse box and fire extinguisher, change lightbulbs and furnace filters, unclog a drain and do whatever else is in your personal skill set (that’s about it for mine). Study up on a few things you didn’t know how to do before. It may just save you a repair bill in the future!  In researching this article, I have decided I should learn how to set my water heater, how to shut off water valves and how to take care of my furnace and air conditioner.
• Automobile use and care. Kids should learn how to pump gas, check the oil and change a tire before they have a driver’s license. Take them with you if you go to the car wash or get your oil changed so they can see how it works. Taking your kids to the gas station to inflate your tires is an easy way to get them started on car maintenance. Younger children should just watch, but teens can help fill the tires. Explain what the lights on the dashboard mean and demonstrate how you shift into gear. When you are riding together, teach youngsters about road signs, traffic and other important driving lessons.
• Housekeeping. This is last, because it is my least favorite. However, I do recognize that it is important to know how to clean properly (even if I don’t do it as often as I should). While my grandma owned a dishwasher, she washed all the dishes by hand and used the dishwasher for storage. She taught me how to best clean various types of dishes and kitchen equipment and how to store like items for efficiency. Children do best if they are given the specific steps and the right equipment for a task. As parents, we all know that “go clean your room” is usually not specific enough. Other tasks that easily can be broken down into steps include making the bed, mopping the floor and washing windows. Be sure to provide a step stool for younger children, along with the appropriate equipment.

    By learning some of these basic skills, children can take pride in being able to help out around the house now, find new areas of interest and start becoming more self-sufficient.

    Laura Miller McEachen is a part-time attorney and full-time mommy.  She lives in Overland Park.