The One Thing You MUST Teach Your Kids
Homeschool mom or not, there is one thing that you MUST teach your kids before they fly the nest, and this one thing will set them up for a lifetime of success!
Alright, let’s be clear. There isn’t actually just one thing - but a group of skills and information that your kids need to know before adulthood. I’m just going to cover a few very practical ones today, and we will talk more about this topic in the future! Because listen, it’s great if your kids can write a killer essay, or know the Pythagorean theorem, or have full AP schedules and tons of extracurriculars for that college application - but none of that is going to actually help them when they’re on their own and need to feed themselves or they’re stranded on the side of the road! So let’s talk about a few areas that you’ll want to make sure you are teaching your kids…
LAUNDRY
I have met far too many teens and young adults who don’t have the slightest clue how to do a load of laundry! And look, I get it, sometimes as a mom it just feels easier to do it yourself, or maybe you feel like your teen has enough on their plate - but you’d be doing them a huge disservice to not take the time to teach them basic laundry skills. How much soap to use, what settings to use for different fabrics, why that wool sweater can’t go in the dryer…it’s a simple task, but better to learn NOW than to have to figure it out on their own later!
CAR CARE
Remind me to tell you the story about the time I told my dad the “little boat light” was on in my car…ANYWAY! Basic maintenance schedules, putting air in the tires, checking the oil, changing a flat tire - these are skills that we should all know - and you may need to learn alongside your kid if this isn’t an area you have knowledge in yourself! But these are valuable skills to have when you’re stranded on the side of the road!
HOW TO COOK
It doesn’t have to be gourmet, but your child needs to be able to feed themselves more than microwave noodles! A few basic recipes, how to scramble an egg, basic nutrition, how to read and follow a recipe - these skills are easily built upon, and so necessary if you don’t want them living on fast food!