One most important responsibility you have as a mother is to ensure you prepare your child or children for the “real world” experiences. Naturally, there would be times in life when your children would have to be alone or far from you.
So, the big question to ask yourself is, would your child be in a position to take care of themself in your absence? While you can’t instill every skill in your kid, there are some essential skills you’ll have to teach your child to save them from future adulthood surprises.
Thankfully, we have outlined some of the best general and practical life skills that would help your sons and daughters cope and deal with different situations that may come their way.
It is important to teach your child;
How to read and write
Most mothers would love to raise a reader but, literacy doesn’t start when your child starts schooling. Actually, it begins when your child is young. Mainly from the age of 3-5years when they gather the skills, they would use for learning.
Also, learning does not only mean reading text and storybooks. That said, you can widen your child’s knowledge through various life situations including phonemic awareness.
Therefore, teach your children never to stop reading, learning and even taking online examinations so that when they grow into an adult, their minds would be open to a range of possibilities. That they’ll be more thoughtful and wiser to differentiate what’s right or best for their lives.
How to relate and solve their issues with others
It’s never wise to deny your child the freedom to associate with other children. However, it would be worse if they don’t know how to relate to or accept their fellows.
Likewise, disagreements are inevitable, and there are very high chances that children would pick fights with each other while playing. Therefore, you should ensure you instill in your child the skill of tolerance and empathy for divergent views. Teach them how to analyze their differences to identify the best outcome for all of them.
Above all, they must know how to apologize when they are wrong and forgive others who wronged them. This way, your child would cultivate a healthy relationship in their growth.
Laundry and personal hygiene skills
You don’t want to bring up a child who can’t sort and wash their clothes. Or a child who will wear some strange and dirty outfits because they can’t wash their own clothes in your absence. Therefore, when your child reaches the age where you feel they can start taking some responsibilities, it would be worth teaching them the value of laundry.
Therefore, teach your child how to sort, wash, dry, and fold their laundry. Equipping your child with such skills ensures they know the value of caring and being responsible for how they dress or manage their wear.
Similarly, teach your child to maintain a higher cleanliness level including their genital hygiene. Let them know how to take showers, brush their teeth, and change their clothes. All these may seem basic, but if they do them without being reminded, that would mean a caring and responsible child.
Personal healthcare
It’s evident for most mothers to be concerned with their children’s health. However, you can never know when your child may fall sick. That said, you need to teach your child how to take a more active role in ensuring they can stand up for themselves when ill. Show them what over-the-counter drugs they can take for particular feelings.
Also, teach them the basic first aid skills techniques that could help them in emergencies, and when it happens, you’re not around to assist. Also, teach them to care for their minds as much as their bodies. You can show them what to watch and discourage them from watching programs that would harm or lead to them hurting their physical and mental health.
Money management skills
Not much is taught about money in schools, but for sure, they would be introduced to the concept of money in various subjects. Therefore, it would be better to teach your child how to make, save and budget with money.
Organizational skills
Your child’s social, emotional, academic, or emotional growth would greatly depend on how well-organized they are. Therefore, you must teach your child how to plan and organize themselves, from making their bed, skills, and manners to maintaining their books. They must know how to plan and put all they need in place.
Lastly, ensure you teach your child how to cook and the importance of promoting their life through diet while having home-cooked nutritious meals every day for a healthier life.
Conclusion
If you believe taking your child to the best school would provide every life skill they need, then you’re wrong. Your child needs a lot more than that, and if you want your child to grow to be a responsible person, you must; teach them how to read and write and relate with others. More to that, ensure they’re organized enough to manage money and their health.
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