10 Life Skills to Teach Your Kids Before They Turn 18

We all want our kids to be safe and prepared for whatever life throws their way. As a parent, it can feel overwhelming at times as we try to teach them what they need to know to navigate the complex world we live in. Today I’ll cover what I feel are the 10 essential areas to focus on in order to make sure your children enter adulthood with the skills they need to be safe, independent and confident individuals.

What’s Inside:

• Learn why teaching life skills is vital for your children’s development, helping them build confidence and independence as they navigate various challenges in life.
• Discover the “Essential 10” allowing you to streamline your focus and ensure that you cover the most critical skills without becoming overwhelmed.
• By instilling these important skills early on, you can set your kids up for long-term success, equipping them to handle both everyday situations and unexpected hurdles with confidence.

Wait a minute…
Before you get to the list, you might be wondering why you should listen to me, when I don’t even have any grown children.
How would I know what kids need to learn to be successful adults?
Well, for 15 years I worked as a high school advisor helping seniors make plans for life after high school. Not only did I watch the process of these teens heading off into adulthood, many of them have kept in touch over the years. The list below is based on what they and their parents have told me that they wish they had known before they moved out or went away to college.

1) Grocery Shopping

There are so many life skills that can be learned from grocery shopping. Not just as they wander the aisles of the grocery store, but before and after the visit too. I’ve also found this is an easy thing to get the kids interested in because it helps to give them control over what they eat too. 

Here are just a few of the life-long skills that kids can learn when you teach them how to grocery shop:

Budgeting

Grocery shopping and sticking to a budget go hand-in-hand. Especially with the constantly increasing price of groceries these days.

When you involve kids in the process of shopping, you can teach them the value of a dollar.

Even small kids can get started by choosing their snacks for the week given a certain dollar amount. If they buy name-brand snacks or splurge on fancy treats, they might realize just how quickly that snack budget runs out and the next week make different choices. 

As the kids get older or and show they have mastered handling smaller amounts, you can evenallow them to plan a whole week’s worth of dinners and sticking to the budget.

If you still get the weekly sales paper from your local store, you can turn that into a great budgeting activity too. Let them peruse the paper in advance and search for deals that will make their money go a bit further. 

Meal Planning

Meal Planning helps save money, time and reduces food waste.

Get your kids involved by making a list of their favorite meals or allow them to look up new recipes and plug them into a weekly menu.

If they can master this skill now, they will head into adulthood prepared to cook for themselves and their future families.

Healthy Eating

Healthy eating is an important skill for all kids to understand and grocery shopping is the perfect way to introduce it.

Challenge them to include a vegetable in every meal or discuss what items in the cart are protein, starches, and sweets. Teach them how to read labels and understand what the numbers mean as well as identifying hidden ingredients. Show them how to plan out a balanced meal that includes all the food groups – not just the ones they enjoy!

2) Cooking

After grocery shopping, it’s time to head to the kitchen. Traditionally, cooking was a skill passed down from generation to generation. Somehow, this has been lost in our modern families leaving young people to rely on unhealthy fast food and to-go meals.

To set your children up for a lifetime of healthy homemade meals, teach them basic cooking skills such as chopping vegetables, measuring ingredients, and following recipes.

They will feel so proud when they are able to prepare a meal on their own.

Measuring Ingredients

One of the first ways my kids helped in the kitchen was by measuring ingredients while I was baking. Teach them how to properly measure both wet and dry ingredients and how to use a kitchen scale. You can also teach them common kitchen conversions such as tablespoons to cups.

Cutting & Chopping

Once the kids are a little older, teach them proper knife safety and how to cut, dice, and slice (without slicing their fingers). Then have them help prepare ingredients for meal prep or dinner.

Basic Recipes & Skills

Being able to carefully read and follow written directions is a skill that they will use for the rest of their lives, but can be learned in a fun and delicious way in the kitchen. Learning how to read and follow a recipe teaches why paying attention to details and doing things precisely and in order is essential to success.

Once the basics are down, move on to other skills and basic recipes, like how to cook pasta (and safely drain it), how to boil an egg, and how to bake cookies.

3) Money Management

Money skills are SO important for every single person and I bet you can think of at least a few people who have no clue how to handle their money, even as an adult. Don’t let that be your kid! Set them up for success by teaching them essential money skills now.

Saving

The natural instinct for most kids is to want to spend money as soon as it reaches their hands. There are many adults who do the same thing. This is why it’s important to give kids guidance and help them understand WHY they need to save money.

One of the easiest ways to teach this skill is to help them save for a big toy or experience they’d like. For example, if they want a $50 video game and received $20 for their birthday, that’s a great opportunity to explain why they should save that $20 towards the video game instead of spending it immediately.

As adults, having money saved for emergencies is essential. You can teach this skill to children by requiring they use their own money to replace items they have lost or not taken good care of.

Budgeting

Even adults struggle with budgeting, so it’s important to start teaching kids this skill early on.

To make it more relatable to children, help them create a simple budget for their allowance or any money they earn from chores or odd jobs. This can include categories like saving, spending, and donating. By teaching them to allocate their money towards different purposes, they will understand the value of budgeting and being mindful of their spending habits.

Investing

Good money management means teaching kids how to let their money grow for the future. 

A high yield savings account is a great place to start teaching kids about investing. They can see their money grow over time with interest and learn the concept of compound interest.

This is a nice way to learn without the risk of losing any of their hard earned money.

Debt Avoidance

Debt can be an abstract concept for kids, but there’s a simple way to help them understand.

Give them the opportunity to “borrow” money from you for an item they want or need. Set terms for repayment, including any interest that they will have to pay. Even just a flat fee charged for fronting the money will help them to understand it’s better to avoid debt since the total cost increases anytime money is borrowed.

4) Household Chores

I’ve shared my secret tips for getting kids to do their chores but today I want to reiterate why it’s important for kids to take responsibility when it comes to keeping a home clean and organized. Chores aren’t just about teaching kids responsibility – the chores themselves are essential life skills all kids should know for their future.

Cleaning

Start with age-appropriate cleaning, such as their rooms, and expand to other rooms in the house. Teach skills like vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, washing dishes, and doing laundry. Don’t just assume they will become adults and instantly know how. Plus, creating these habits when they are young will make sure they are prepared for living on their own in the future.

Organizing & Clutter

Organization goes a long way toward keeping a home clean and learning the skills now helps with other areas of life later too. Some areas to work on organizing include toys, bookshelves, and clothes.

Additionally, teaching children how to de-clutter will prevent them from becoming overwhelmed by too many items and prevent hoarding as an adult.

Maintenance

There are a lot of basic household maintenance items that may seem obvious to you but are less obvious to kids. Involve them in the process or vocalize what they’re doing and why, so they begin to see how regular maintenance can prevent larger issues (or at least more time-consuming ones down the road). 

Washing the windows, changing lightbulbs, unclogging drains – these are all tasks that kids can learn to do and not dread as adults. Plus, by learning how to take care of their living space and belongings now, they will have more respect for it in the future and maintain a cleaner home on their own.

5) Communication

Communication, whether you’re talking about in-person conversations, calls, or emails, is an essential life skill for kids that will help them in their future.

Actually Talking on the Phone

While texting and chat bots seem to be everywhere, it’s important for kids to know how to use a phone (including area codes and dialing international numbers) and how to politely request to speak to someone. There are many situations that require talking to a live person as an adult and I’m conviced that the kids who do so confidently will be the leaders of the next generation.

Email Etiquette

Most children are now assigned an email address as soon as they enter school. Teaching them how to write and reply to emails appropriately, including proper subject lines and signatures, is a crucial skill for their future academic and professional life. It also helps with fostering respectful communication in all aspects of their lives. I know that I rely on email for my occupation and the ability to compose an organized and polite message is essential for success in today’s world.

Speaking Confidently

Whether it’s giving a presentation in class, setting boundaries with a friend, or sitting for a job interview, interpersonal communication is an essential skill. It can boost their confidence and help them effectively communicate their ideas to others.

6) Time Management

Learning how to manage your time well is a skill that can transfer over to high school, college, and beyond. Time management includes arriving to work on time, breaking large projects down into smaller pieces to work on daily, and learning to say “no” and prioritize rest as well. 

Some simple ways to teach kids time management include things like letting them choose when to work on chores or homework – if they choose to play video games all morning and miss out on an activity later in the day instead, that’s a great teaching moment. 

Teach them how to use a weekly calendar or the calendar on their phone to set reminders for weekly assignments, activities and chores.

7) Goal Setting

Being able to set and achieve goals is a key to success. Whether it’s learning a new skill or travelling to a dream destination setting goals teaches the value of hard work and perseverance. It also helps us all develop a sense of purpose and direction in their lives.

There is no limit to the areas of our lives that goal-setting can have an impact. From finances and fitness to education and mental health. And the great news is that the same skills apply to all areas. A few simple ideas to encourage your children to set goals are to have them write them down, make small action plans and celebrate when they achieve their goals.

8) Health and Wellness

From personal hygiene to physical fitness and mental health, learning to prioritize your overall well-being and quality of life is essential to happiness. Encouraging activities that promote a healthy lifestyle, such as outdoor play, sports, and nutritious eating habits, will set them up for success in the long run.

It’s also important to teach children about self-care and the importance of taking care of their mental health. This can include teaching them coping mechanisms for stress and anxiety, promoting positive body image, and fostering open communication about emotions and feelings. By prioritizing health and wellness at a young age, children are more likely to carry these habits into adulthood.

9) Navigation

While it’s true that we all have maps in our pockets 90% of the time now, it’s still important for us all to know how to navigate without one. For personal safety reasons alone, teaching your children how to navigate the world around them should be a priority.

Driving

Long before they’re old enough to actually get behind the wheel, you can begin teaching other driving-related skills including how to read a map, how to look up directions, and how to follow a GPS. This includes basic knowledge of cardinal directions and paying attention to your surroundings. You never know when a cell phone battery will die or the area won’t have service.

Walking

You’ve probably already taught your kids to look twice before crossing the street but depending on where you live, your kids may not have a lot of experience. Be sure to find opportunities to teach them how to independtly use crosswalks, navigate busy streets and be aware of landmarks and street signs. fficient but also give them the confidence to explore their surroundings on their own.

Public Transportation

I never road the bus until I went to college and I got stuck on the wrong route for hours. Even if you don’t typically rely on public transportation, travelling to a city for the weekend to learn how to read the bus, ferry or subway schedules will be a great learning experience.

Flying

The first time I flew in an airplane I was 21 years old. The entire experience was so stressful because I didn’t understand how anything worked. Even the cost of a quick weekend trip on a budget airline is worth the cost to allow your kids to learn the process with a trusted adult.

The next time you fly with kids, let them lead the way. Encourage them to find the gate on their ticket and confirm it on the board and navigate their way from parking to baggage claim.

10) Personal Safety

Personal safety is a skill that encompasses so much – digital, nightlife, home security, identity theft, personal defense, and more. 

While you will need to decide when, where and how to tackle each of these subjects with your own children, I promise you that the earlier you do, the better.

As a former college advisor, I’ve seen so many kids head off into the world without a clue that there are people out there just waiting for a naive and unsuspecting target.
Hint-Walking home from a night class while staring at your phone is a recipe for disaster.

You don’t need to scare them, but a healthy sense of awareness and understanding is key.

Conclusion

Teaching your kids life skills is not just about preparing them for the future, but also giving them a sense of independence and confidence. With the right knowledge and tools, they will be able to navigate through various situations with ease. Don’t be afraid to start early and have open conversations with your children about these important topics. It may seem daunting, but it will ultimately benefit them in the long run. Let’s empower our children to become self-sufficient and resilient individuals!