When talking about children many people say they want them to know the basics. What are the basics? By what age do they need to know them? Can they learn them just through living life or do they actually need to be taught? And do they really need to know it now, or could it wait a few more years?
Why does a five year old need to write their name? Will they be without you and need to sign a contract? Why does an 8 year old need to write a book report? Does a 12 year old need to know long division? What will he be figuring out at the age of 12 that requires this?
All these skills are good to know when you need them. But what if we were to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
What if, instead of thinking of each skill fitting into a certain age or grade range, we thought about where we want our children to be when they are ready to move out on their own? And instead of trying to force learning when they aren’t ready, we wait until they actually are ready.
I have compiled a list of things I want my child to learn before they are out on their own. They don’t need to learn these skills in any particular order, by a specific age, or in a certain way, and they don’t need to prove to anyone they have learned it. There is not a test on the skills of life. They will never graduate from learning, so there is no final exam.
- Read and comprehend what was read
- Bake and decorate a cake
- Fix a flat tire on a vehicle
- Do laundry
- Cook a meal…preferably several
- Drive a car
- Know how to register to vote and vote if they want to
- Write a resume
- Fix a leaky faucet
- Write in complete sentences and paragraphs
- Speak English fluently
- Understand when slang is appropriate and when it’s not
- Comfort a baby
- Understand how electricity works
- Know how to use a computer
- Know when to walk away from a bad situation, relationship, etc.
- Build a fire
- CPR
- Sew on a button
- Swim
- Grow food
- Find information online
- Follow instruction
- How to repair appliances with the help of Google
- Make and follow a budget
- Understand percentages and fractions
- Change a light bulb
- Replace an electrical outlet
- Apply for credit
- Catch a fish
- Change oil in a car and check all the fluids
- How to debate without arguing
- Write a formal letter
- Jump start a car
- Bicycle repair
- How to use a pocket knife
- Drive a stick shift
- How to use basic woodworking tools
- How to treat minor illnesses
- Dental hygiene
- How to use a socket wrench
- How to open a combination lock
- How to use a fire extinguisher
- Ride a bike
- How to pay bills
- How to buy groceries
- How to pump gas
- Play an instrument
- Use a sewing machine
- How to treat a burn
- Use a clothing iron
- Wash dishes
- How to get a library card
- How to make people laugh
- How to dance
- File taxes
- What the stock market is and how it works
- How to open and manage a bank account
- How to apply for a passport
- How to get a job
- Unclog a toilet
- Fix a clogged drain
- Basic first aid
- How to tip at a restaurant
- How to cut hair
- How to find answers
- How to tell time
- How to help someone who is choking
- What to eat to stay healthy
- How to clean up messes
- How to wash dishes
- How to preserve fruit
- How to bake a pie
- How to paint
- How to use a phone
- How to care for a pet
- When to keep your thoughts to yourself
- How to filter water
- How to use an ATM
- What to wear for different situations
- How to pack for a picnic
- Good table manners
- Oil and water don’t mix
- Gravity sometimes hurts
- How to make friends
- How to validate someone’s feelings
- Kindness is always the right thing to do
- Always do what you know is right even when others don’t
- Don’t quit when things get tough
- Know how and when to compromise
- Know that the red traffic light is on top
- Respect authority, but question truth
- How to make an appeal without complaining
- How to use and repair a vacuum cleaner
- Tolerance for other cultures
- How to make a bed
- Basic words in a few other languages
- How to make money
- How to use and repair a lawnmower
- And the most important…know how to call home to Mom!
Your list will and should vary from my list. You are a different person, your child is a different person, and we are living different lives, but many things will be the same. And remember these are things they should know before moving out on their own, they don’t need them all now. So relax; enjoy your time with them when they are little. You’ll never get this time back so have fun with it.
