As a veteran homeschooler, with a daughter just graduating college, and two boys currently of high school age, younger parents often ask me what I recommend for electives in high school.
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From my experience so far, these are the skills I strongly believe every teen needs to become a successful adult:
1. Car care: In order for my teens to get a driver’s license, they need to know how to check the fluids, get gas, and change a tire.
2. Basic First Aid: As soon as my kids turn 13(official teenagers), I have them enroll in a local Red Cross First Aid training class. Having an in-home daycare, I find this imperative. So far, each of my children has really enjoyed learning these skills, and, thankfully, no one has had to use any of these skills yet.
3. Simple sewing: Learning how to sew on a button or sew up a simple seam can prevent lots of embarrassment down the road, as my children that are involved in theater can tell you.
4. Tools: I feel that knowing what a hammer, screwdriver, wrench, saw, and pliers are is definitely necessary. I also want them to know how to use each safely. This is something we spend quite a bit of time on, as it comes up, naturally. I’ve been surprised at the number of their friends that have never used even a hammer.
5. Cooking: Each family decides how important this is to them. When I moved out on my own, I didn’t even know how to boil water to make pasta. I’ve been intentional about making kitchen time a regular part of our life. I feel every teen should know how, at the very least, to make pasta and hard boil an egg.
6. Checking: Every teen should know how to balance a checkbook. I know most are online nowadays, but I still encourage each of mine to keep a check register to make sure numbers match, even banks can make mistakes. Also, knowing how to write a check is imperative. They just may run across a place someday that does not accept a debit card.
7. Simple Housekeeping: Washing dishes, vacuuming, dusting, sweeping, and doing laundry are among some of the most basic skills that are needed no matter where you live. I’m often shocked by how many parents never require their children to learn these tasks.
8. Formal Writing: Each teen should know how to word and address both a formal letter and a formal email. They need to understand the difference between informal texting slang and formal professional language.
9. Fire Safety: This may have extra importance to me because of my phobia of fires, but nonetheless, I feel it is extremely important, not to mention, potentially lifesaving. Before spending time home alone or moving out on their own, our teens should know how to devise an escape plan, how to use smoke detectors, and how to use a fire extinguisher.
10. How To Write A Resume: As my children are in high school, I encourage them to start writing one so that they can record skills, workshops, experiences, etc onto it as they happen. This will help them later as they apply either to colleges or for employment.
Homeschooling teens is one of the most rewarding experiences. I’ve loved incorporating these life skills into our daily lives, as I know that my children will be on the road to being able to live successful lives as they enter into adulthood.
What other skills do you think are important for teens to learn?
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It seems these are skills that many of us knew before we moved out on our own. Growing up I always had chores around the house and we had some life skills classes in school. It’s amazing how these skills are overlooked these days. that is the beauty of home schooling. You can taylor the experience to each child’s needs.
I agree! I am so often shocked that my teen’s friends do not possess these skills.
The one time after a mess was made(small food fight), my son grabbed the vacuum and started running it.
A friend of his, very seriously, said: “You know how to vacuum??”
I laughed and said, “Doesn’t everyone?”
“Nope,” he said, “I don’t even know if we have a vacuum”
This conversation went on and I was in absolute shock. Very nice boy, just had never been given any type of responsibility in his home.
I didn’t homeschool but I always thought that there was so many more important things to teach kids in school besides just math and English. This is a great post!
I feel that all of the skills you mentioned above are very important . I have never thought of sewing as an important skill but it actually is because I’ve needed it many times myself. Great read. Thank you
Thank you!