Basic Life Skills Every Teen Should Know (Even in the Digital Age)

Technology has changed everything from how we conduct business to how we interact with our friends.
And while many of those changes have certainly enhances the lives of young people, in some
circumstances, it's also led to a lack of basic life skills.

The digital age allows teens to avoid many basic tasks. But at some point, they're going to need to know
how to do certain things. And it's important for parents to be aware that in today's world, they may
need to put a little extra effort into ensuring kids are learning these basic life skills.

1. How to Cook Simple Meals

Your teen can survive on fast food and microwaveable meals for a while. But, over the long-haul, most
of those items aren't healthy choices.

Teach your teen basic safety issues associated with food preparation, such as how to handle meat
safely. And make sure your teen knows how to cook at least a few basic recipes before he heads out on
his own.

2. How to Do Basic Chores

If you shudder at the thought of your teen’s future home someday looking like the current state of his
bedroom, it’s important to start working on chores.

Basic housekeeping skills, like cleaning floors, dusting, and doing laundry are important. Enforcing rules
about chores also sends an important message to your teen about the importance of contributing to the
family.

3. How to Make a Phone Call

Today’s teens rarely talk on the phone. Instead, they send text messages and use social media to
arrange plans with friends.

As a result, many of them have no idea how to schedule an appointment or conduct a professional
conversation over the phone.

Teach your teen appropriate phone etiquette. Discuss how answering the phone by saying things like,
“What up?” aren’t likely to impress potential employers. Give your teen opportunities to practice phone
etiquette by allowing him to schedule his own appointments or inquire about services offered by a
business.

Provide coaching and feedback about his phone skills to ensure he'll be able to conduct himself
appropriately when you're not around.

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4. How to Make Face-to-Face Conversation

Our digital world means teens are interacting face-to-face less often. And without proper coaching,
many teens aren’t learning the social skills they need. In fact, research shows too much screen time
impairs teens' social skills.

Make sure your teen understands manners and basic social etiquette. For example, talk about shaking
hands and making eye contact when meeting someone new. Also, discuss the non-verbal body language
that goes into conversation. Good social skills can offer your teen many advantages in the future.

5. How to Manage Money

For Bong, it is best that he be taught how to familiarize himself with the different denominations and
practice counting money. The parents are advised to simulate purchasing small amounts for Bong to
practice his money skills on. The parents may gradually introduce simulation of purchasing larger
amounts.

Unfortunately, it’s easy for teens to get into debt and make big mistakes with money as soon as they
leave home. A lot of teens enter into the adult world with little or no experience managing their
finances. They don’t know how to balance a checking account and don’t know how to pay bills.

6. How to Care for their Health

Teens need to know how to care for their physical and mental health.

Teach your teen about the importance of proper nutrition and exercise. Role model the importance of
self-care, attending regular doctor appointments, and talk about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Also, make sure your teen knows how to manage stress and how to be mentally prepared to deal with
life’s challenges. Teaching your teen to care for his health won’t just affect the quality of his adult life,
but perhaps even the length of it.

7 LIFESKILLS YOUR TEENS MUST LEARN BEFORE MOVING OUT

Just because your teen turns 18 doesn't mean he's ready to move out of the house and live on his own.
Unless you've taught him the life skills necessary to live in the real world, there's a good chance he'll
struggle to be independent.

In fact, many teens are becoming 'boomerang kids' because they lack life skills. They struggle to get by
without the financial, physical, and emotional support of their families as young adults.

No matter what your teens plans are after high school, there are certain life skills he's going to need.

1. Work Skills

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Don't assume that just because your teen made it through school he'll be able to hold down a job. The
rules of the workforce are quite different from the confines of a high school.

A part-time job during high school or a summer job can prepare your teen for a future career.
Additionally, assigning chores and regular household responsibilities can prepare your teen for the
working world.

2. Transportation Skills

Teens need to know how to get from point A to point B. it's important for your teen to know how to use
public transportation.

3. Goal Setting Skills

whether your teen wants to lose weight or he's interested in working his way up the corporate ladder,
goal setting skills are essential.

Teach your teen how to establish a goal. Then, talk about how to take action toward reaching those
goals. A teen who knows how to track his progress is much more likely to stay motivated.

Work on goal setting skills often. Help your teen identify one thing he wants to achieve and then assist
him in making it happen. With each new goal he attains, he'll gain confidence in his ability to reach even
loftier goals in the future.

4. Time Management Skills

If you always have to remind your teen to do his homework or to take out the trash, he's not likely going
to fare well on his own. It's important for teens to be able to manage their own time wisely. Help him to
make a schedule and develop a routine at home

Hopefully, you won't always be looking over his shoulder telling him what to do next as often as possible
when he is an adult. So, make sure your teen learns how to budget his time and get his work done
without supervision.

5. The Ability to Deal with Emergencies

When your team has to deal with an emergency, there will be no time for them to think. Therefore, it is
imperative parents take the time to teach their teens how to deal with emergencies while they are at
home.

A grease fire, a serious injury, or natural disasters are just a few of the emergencies your teen is likely to
encounter at one point or another.

Make sure your teen knows what to do when the power is out or the cellphone towers are down too.
Kids who have grown up with technology often forget that in times of true emergency, electronics aren't
always available.

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6. Basic Household Management

While you may be tempted to let your teen off the hook when it comes to chores, it's essential that your
teen know how to manage a household. Whether he lives in a dorm room or he rents an apartment,
he'll need to know some basic skills.

Teach your teen basic meal preparation skills. Make sure he knows how to perform simple repairs--as
well as when to call in professional help.

Additionally, don't send him on his way until he knows how to do his laundry and sanitize a bathroom.

7. Financial Skills

One of the most important skills you'll ever teach your teen is how to handle money.

Spend time teaching your teen basic money management skills. Teaching those skills early on could
make a big difference in your child's quality of life.

BASIC MONEY MANAGEMENT SKILLS

Basic money skills could be one of the most important lessons you could ever teach your child. After all,
mistakes with money could cost more than just dollars. Poor spending habits, combined with a lack of
knowledge about money, can have serious emotional, social, and even legal consequences later in life.

Offer opportunities for your teen to make financial decisions—and mistakes—on his own. Hold frequent
conversations about finances and provide plenty of hands-on learning opportunities to ensure your child
understands these nine money basics:

1. How to Earn Money

If teens are always given money, they won’t understand what it takes to earn a paycheck. Rather than
hand over money for your teen to go to the movies or buy new clothes whenever he wants, provide an
allowance when he completes chores. Then, let him pay for some of the things he wants with his own
cash.

2. How to Save Money

Teens also need to learn about how to save money. Help your child establish goals—like purchasing a
new set of clothes —and assist her in saving. Help her determine how much money she’ll need to save
and establish a realistic saving plan with her.

3. How to Create a Budget

Unless your teen knows how much to save, how much to spend, and how much is earned, he won’t be
able to make wise financial decisions. Whether your teen has a job, or he earns an allowance, teach

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basic budgeting skills. Help your child distinguish purchases that are “need” (food clothing and shelter)
from “wants”.

4. How to Pay Bills

Show your teen some of your bills and discuss how you pay them. It’s important for teens to understand
how to recognize when bills are due and how to develop a system to ensure they’re paid on time.

5. How to Spend Money Wisely

Learning how to spend money is an often overlooked financial skill, but teens need to know that
spending their hard-earned money isn’t bad.

But many of them become so frightened about running out of money—because they don’t have a clear
understanding of how to budget—that they don’t want to spend any.

Teach your teen that it’s okay to enjoy spending money, as long as the purchases are part of the budget.
Then, as an adult, she'll feel as though she's in control of her money, rather than thinking her money
runs her life.

Chores for Teenagers

Teenagers need chores that will prepare them for the real world. Assign chores such as meal
preparation, cleaning the bathroom, mowing the lawn, or doing the laundry.

These life skills will be important after high school so your teen can live independently.

Giving your teen, an allowance can motivate him to do chores. It can also serve as a way to teach your
teen about how to manage money.

Make an allowance system similar to the way your teen will earn money at a job. Provide payment one
time per week. Don't give out any loans and don't hand out money if your teen hasn't earned it.

IDEAS LIST FOR HOUSEHOLD CHORES THAT PARENTS CAN USE

Teens are capable of doing practically any chore that adults can do. But, they need direction and
guidance as they learn how to do household chores appropriately.

Guidance shouldn't be about nagging, however. Instead, it should involve showing your teen how to do
a specific chore and then monitoring your teen's progress.

If your teen isn't cleaning the bathroom in a sanitary manner, or if he's lawn mowing technique leaves a
lot to be desired, consider it a teachable moment.

Show your teen the appropriate way to do things and make your expectations clear.

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 Use chores as a way to teach your teen about adult life. Pay your teen an allowance for doing chores or
link chores to specific privileges. Make it clear that hard work leads to rewards, just like hard work at a
future job will lead to a pay check.

It can be helpful to assign your teen weekly chores. Give your teen a list and then, leave it up to him to
decide when to get it done. If he doesn't do the work, don't give him any money.

Or, tell him he can't spend time with friends until his chores are done. If he doesn't do the work, don't
let him go out and have fun.

Here are some chores you might consider assigning to your teen:

Regular Chores for Teens

 Vacuum living room, hallways, bedrooms, and  Clean the kitchen counters
stairs  Wash the front of the cupboards
 Sweep kitchen and bathroom floors  Empty the dishwasher
 Dust living room, bedrooms, and office space  Clean the bathroom sink, mirror and toilet
 Dust ceiling fans  Shake out area rugs
 Wipe off the washer and dryer  Wash dishes
 Feed the pet
 Vacuum the furniture  Walk the pet or clean litter
 Straighten the living room  Wash the pet or pet’s things
 Lint brush furniture  Clean windows
 Wipe baseboards  Clean refrigerator shelves and door; inside and
 Clean doorknobs and light switches out
 Water plants  Clean out the old food in the refrigerator
 Organize drawers  Clean the toaster, unplug and dump the crumbs
 Organize bedroom closet  Mop floors
 Take care of items for recycling  Replace light bulbs
 Take the trash out to the street for pick up  Organize the food in the pantry
 Empty the trash from various rooms  Sanitize surfaces
 Cook dinner (leave instructions)  Clean fingerprints off screens, like TV and
laptops
 Make lunch for siblings  Brush the pets outside to reduce shedding
 Pick up a few grocery items from the store indoors
 Wash and dry laundry  Iron clothes
 Fold a load of laundry  Organize the garage
 Match socks  Wash the walls
 Organize bookshelves

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