3 Life Skills You Can Teach Your Kids
Not all learning takes place in the classroom. Here’s how you can teach your kids a few important lifelong skills at home.
Teach Them How to Drive
A driver’s license is a rite of passage of sort for teens. And while your child may not be driving age just yet, it will creep up much sooner than you think.
Start thinking about teaching your child how to drive now, even if you don’t allow them behind the wheel. Young children can benefit from “driving lessons” while you’re spending time in the car. Explain to your child why you make stops at stop signs and why it’s always important to look both ways. Preteens can benefit from more in-depth teachings like how to pass correctly on the highway and even the importance of leaving the cellphone out of sight while driving. Remember, it’s best to lead by example and always drive safely.
When your teen is ready to take his or her driving test for a permit or driver’s license, make sure that he or she has ample time to practice beforehand. Take an active role, drive together and utilize online resources such as DrivingTests.org. The website offers detailed exams and information tailored to whichever city you live in, from Massachusetts to Mississippi. According to these driving experts, four out of 10 people fail their driving test the first time. A little studying and practice might just pay off, if not you can always enroll them in Wheely Good Driving School Irvine, CA.
Pass Down a Family Recipe
Get together in the kitchen and make something special. Pull out those old dusty recipes that were passed down to you and teach your kids how to make a signature family dish. According to the education experts from Kids Health, cooking helps build basic skills, boost confidence, encourage a varied palate — all while helping kids explore their senses.
Sure, you might know the family recipe like the back of your hand, but take the time to read the recipe, measure out the ingredients and tell the backstory of your dish to make it a memorable teaching lesson. Make it a family affair and assign duties and tasks, like measurer, dishwasher, mixer and more.
Pitch a Tent, Together
Our kids can learn a lot from the great outdoors. Unfortunately, many children don’t get to spend as much time as they should outside. In fact, according to data reported by The National Association for Sport and Physical Education, only 1 in 3 children are physically active on a daily basis. This number seems shocking; however, it’s easy to get caught up in our busy lives. From tutoring and schooling to errands and homework time, kids are spending a lot of time inside.
But you can change that. Take an example from Germany’s “Kitafahrten,” yearly excursions for kids to learn and play without books by exploring nature and camping in the woods. The program was created to develop social skills and independence. And it seems to be working.
While you might not be able to send your children off to “Kitafahrten,” you can show them a thing or two about the outdoors. Head to the backyard, local park or the great outdoors to explore nature. Set up a tent, build a campfire and even go fishing. A love for the outdoors begins at a young age. Be sure to foster an appreciation for nature and get the entire family involved.
What's Your Reaction?
