There are critical life skills every child should know that can make their lives a little easier and potentially more successful. These skills can be helpful in finding and retaining a good job, maintaining healthy relationships and ultimately living fulfilled.
These skills are easy to acquire and the sooner your child learns them the sooner they can start putting them to good use. The key here is daily consistency in building these skills as new habits.
Life Skill #1. Be Curious
As adults, we can teach ourselves nearly anything. The first step to learning something is asking a question. Kids are excellent at getting curious and it’s a parent’s job to encourage and foster that natural tendency.
Be an example. When you and your child encounter something interesting, ask questions out loud like “I wonder how that works.” And then figure out the answer together.
So many parents just want their children to be quiet and then they wonder later in life why their child has no motivation. Encourage your children to ask questions and get them excited about it.
Life Skill #2. Finish What You Start
Many of us get into the bad habit of not finishing a task or project before it’s complete. Life gets busy, or we have too much on our plate. Whatever the reason, just be aware you’re setting an example for your kid to not finish what they start either.
So instead, try to set a good example for your children about following through. Even if that means taking some things off of your plate, or delegating so you can actually accomplish what you set out to do.
Teach your child to finish what they start, whether it’s cleaning their room or brushing their teeth. Incorporate it as a daily habit and use rewards and reaffirming words to back it up. For example, you can say something like, “We can go to the park, but first you have to brush your teeth and I have to finish the dishes. We always finish what we start.”
Life Skill #3. Find a solution
Children that learn to work through challenges tend to have easier time as adults. If your child’s zipper is stuck, let him work on it for a while.
Avoid rushing to your child’s rescue every time something fails to go perfectly. When you do so, you’re just implying to him that he’s helpless without the assistance of someone else.
Life Skill #4. Discover peace in being alone
Not many people are happy being alone 24/7, but spending a couple of hours alone shouldn’t be traumatic.
Everyone needs to learn how to entertain himself to a certain degree. Every child should learn that it’s okay to be alone for a short period of time.
This skill is vitally important especially now as our nation is facing an epidemic of teenage loneliness. According to this report and others just like it, our youth are plagued with loneliness stemming from the overuse of digital devices. Teach your kids now how to regulate themselves, set limits for screen time and find peace in being alone.
Life Skill #5. Have Compassion
Life is easier and more enjoyable when we learn to feel compassion for others. Demonstrate compassion in your life, and your child will learn it as well. Simply be kind and help others. Read more about developing compassionate children in today’s crazy world.
Life Skill #6. Be Comfortable with Change
Adults who are unable to deal well with change fail to grow. Change is simply a part of life and nobody can control all the variables. Explain to your child that things are always changing and some change can even be exciting.
Life Skill #7. Be Bold
Children that are a little bold also learn to become more independent and not rely on others for every, single, little thing. Children who learn to be bold have an easier time in managing themselves as adults.
To foster boldness, children can be encouraged to try new things and to stand up for themselves. Remind your child it’s okay to make mistakes which will encourage him to venture out even more, and boost his self-confidence.
Life Skill #8. Have Passion
Help your children explore the things that really motivate and excite them. Encourage every interest, and then assist them with figuring out how they can be successful at it.
Conversely, teach them to have passion and find joy in even the most mundane of household tasks. Happiness is something found, not created.
Life Skill #9. Stick to Guiding Principles
Having the lessons for life etched in our kids’ hearts will be helpful as they head into adulthood some day. Give your children powerful mantras and life-changing bible verses to memorize and recall as needed through every day circumstances.
Every kid can learn life skills
Kids are amazing and they have the ability to learn nearly anything. Part of a parent’s role is to prepare their children for the future. Spend a little time each day asking yourself what you think your child needs to learn to become a successful adult – which life skill do you want to focus on that day. Then come up with a fun way to teach them.
Be a good example. Try not to be concerned if you think your children aren’t listening. Just know that they’re always watching. Remember that they look up to you in this journey of life.
