The Blessing of Independent Teens

Recently, my husband and I headed north for several days and left our 16 and 18 year old home alone.

I left them a 'to-do' list as a reminder, and felt confident that they would get where they needed to go on time.

Then, my daughter, who is getting married in January (have I mentioned that lesson planning may have taken a back seat to wedding planning?), called to ask me to go to 'the big city' and buy a couple bridesmaid dresses at a particular store.  

Family Favorites Friday: Easy Homemade Pizza

I need to apologize.  I thought I had already shared this easy recipe with you, but discovered I hadn't when a friend recently asked me for the recipe and I was going to send her a link.  I am so sorry, y'all.  You need this recipe for Easy Homemade Pizza.

Why do you need this recipe?

1.  The crust is super easy to make and doesn't need to rise = quick.

2.  It makes  3 large pizzas = enough for everybody and maybe leftovers.

3.  Your children can help = fun family activity.

4.  It is inexpensive to make = save money.

Essential Life Skills: Home Care and Maintenance

You could neglect teaching your child basic home care and assume an attitude of “They can learn it when they need it.”

However, you would rob them of responsibility when they are young and burden them with extra learning when they are older.

Children need to have responsibilities in the form of helping around the house.  As they become older they need to become responsible for bigger jobs. This will form a habit that will follow them through their adult life.  They are then prepared to live on their own and not have the burden of learning home care as a young adult.

What should a young person be able to do as a young adult on their own?

Essential Life Skills: Car Care

Many teenagers count down the days until they can drive.

Whether they drive the family car or their own car, they need to know how to maintain and care for the car.  

Car care and maintenance should, ideally, be part of your driver education program.  If it wasn’t, be sure to teach your child the essentials before they head out on their own.

Essential Life Skills: Clothing Care

Sometimes young people leave home without the necessary life skills either because it is easier for the parent to do it herself, or the parent really enjoys doing things for their child.

Neither of those reasons is a good excuse for sending a young adult into the world unprepared.

Clothing care is an easy life skill for you to teach and for your child to learn.  Three essential areas of this skill are:

Essential Life Skills: Money Management

If not intentionally taught, money management is often ‘caught’.

Evaluate your own money management skills to determine if you want your children to emulate them.

The thing about managing money is you need to have some to be able to manage it.

 Determine how your child will get money.

Essential Life Skills: Cooking

 

Don't raise an 'educated fool'.  Teach life skills, too.

Sooner or later, your child will grow up and move away from your home.

Are you teaching them what they need to know to survive on their own?

My own children have been a little surprised at how few students possess the skills needed to live on their own.

Over the next few weeks, I will have a series of posts on skills your student needs.  These are based on what I have observed lacking in college students, young adults, and even young mothers.

Since everybody must eat, let's start with cooking.