It’s tough to figure out what your child will need to know as they grow. Everything from learning a second language to developing patience and empathy can provide skills crucial to their future. As a parent, you can do much to prepare your children to take on the world alone. You can help them get off to a great start by working on these seven skills!
1. Additional Languages
Picking up a second language is a great opportunity to help kids develop a number of social and communication skills. For example, kids who want to learn Chinese will not only gain access to a whole new method of conversation, but they’ll also get help in shaping their minds regarding problem-solving and social awareness. Learning a second language can also help solve problems with speech, as children will also learn new vocal patterns and mouth movements!
2. Restaurant Ordering
It can be scary to speak up in public, especially when the spotlight is on you. Talking to waiters can be intimidating to children, and it’s important to help them navigate and push beyond those fears. Have kids practice ordering their own meals at restaurants in an effort to overcome public shyness. Doing so also gives them self-confidence in their own choices, as they’re the ones who partly get to decide what ends up on their plate.
3. Cleaning
Many parents get so fed up with waiting for their kids to clean their rooms that they throw in the towel and start picking things up for them. By letting them avoid such routine tasks, you may actually be doing your children a disservice; they’ll need to know how to clean effectively, and creating a chore chart may help them focus. There are several jobs they can do around the house, such as:
- Cleaning their bedrooms
- Picking up their things from common areas
- Setting and clearing the dining table
- Washing and drying dishes
- Cleaning their space in the bathroom
Sure, teaching your children to clean up after themselves is much less intensive than learning Chinese or another language, but once they get into the habit of cleaning up after themselves, it’ll eventually become second nature.
4. Budgeting
Many people don’t have a handle on their own budget, let alone try to teach their children how to handle money. Helping your kids understand how budgeting works is an important part of preparing them for their future. If they understand how money, savings, and investing works at a young age, they’ll be more likely to make sensible decisions as they grow. As you learn how to instruct your child best, you may even pick up a few tips yourself!
5. Writing Letters
When texting is the most convenient way to communicate, it seems anachronistic to teach anyone how to write a letter. However, learning how to compose a long-form note is helpful in a number of ways, such as improving vocabulary, developing story-based writing skills, and increasing empathy. There are a number of people who would appreciate getting something special in the mail, such as:
- Grandparents and other relatives
- Local or long-distance friends
- Government officials
- Servicemen and women
- Pen pals
Writing letters is also a great way to make connections with other countries. A child learning Chinese can practice reading and writing the language while talking about their favorite things.
6. Household Maintenance
Houses don’t take care of themselves, and there are certain things that you don’t need to call a repair person to fix. Take the moments when a light bulb goes out or the faucet begins to drip as an opportunity to help your child see how they can fix these simple problems themselves. What may seem like an impossible task to them can actually be quite simple. By having them give you a hand while performing simple upkeep, they’ll be better prepared to tackle those simple issues on their own.
7. Cooking
Children seem to find it very gratifying when they can make a meal that everyone enjoys. Teaching your kids how to cook provides them with a number of skills they’ll carry with them through their whole lives. From following directions to learning patience as the meal cooks, children can experience the joys of creating while building self-esteem when it’s time for the family to dig in at the table!
Skills For Success
No one can see where children’s lives will take them; all parents can do is teach their kids the skills they’ll need to find success. Learning a second language like Chinese or discovering the joys of cooking can help develop those abilities in powerful ways. As children pick up these new skills, they’ll have acquired the necessary tools to tackle the most challenging of life’s adventures!