Life Skills to Learn Before High School Graduation

Life Skills to Learn Before High School Graduation

In this time of COVID, parents are feeling the pressure to ensure their kids are engaging in their schoolwork. I think family togetherness time can offer a great opportunity to learn needed LIFE SKILLS…..you know: the stuff that is actually relevant for young people to know when they leave the nest (algebra usually isn’t one of them😉).

 This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but here are some things to consider:

  1. How to fact check what you read online (good one for us adults, too)
  2. How to sew a button and mend a hem or seam
  3. How to cook at least 5 economical meals
  4. Familiarize Self with basic cooking measurements (what is bigger: a half cup or quarter cup? A teaspoon or tablespoon?)
  5. How to budget for groceries
  6. How to do basic First Aid
  7. How to make own doctor’s/therapist’s/dentist’s appointments
  8. How to wake Self on time
  9. How to unclog a toilet/sink
  10. How to do laundry (separate, wash, fold)
  11. Create a signature
  12. Open a savings account
  13. How to pump gas
  14. Figure out how to navigate public transport (even if there is currently nowhere to go!)
  15. Write a resume
  16. Experience a mock interview
  17. Experience an informational interview
  18. Put together an interview-worthy outfit
  19. How to wash dishes
  20. Compile a list for how to remove stains
  21. How to bargain
  22. How to use a credit card to build credit (not create debt)
  23. Make a restaurant reservation
  24. Order a meal by yourself (even if it is only take-out)
  25. How to do an e-transfer
  26. How to scan a document and attach it to an email
  27. Be able to manage time (chores/school/work/activities)
  28. Take initiative in pursuing a goal
  29. How to iron a shirt
  30. Identify at least 3 personal strengths
  31. How to paint a wall/room (what supplies needed/strategize how best to proceed)
  32. How to parallel park
  33. How to make change from a $20 by counting up (VERY needed skill for retail or food service)
  34. How to advocate for Self
  35. How to change a printer ink cartridge
  36. How to change a lightbulb
  37. How to use a screwdriver, hammer, Level, Stud Finder, Allan Key (ever so needed for the assembly of future Ikea purchases!)
  38. How to light a fire
  39. How to chop wood
  40. How to write a Thank You note
  41. How to polish a pair of shoes
  42. How to offer a sincere apology
  43. Program emergency telephone numbers into phone
  44. How to shake hands
  45. How to pack a suitcase
  46. Party etiquette – how to be a host; how to be a gracious guest
  47. Learn to ask for help when individual efforts have failed
  48. Create a solid safety plan to use when feeling uncomfortable in social settings (have a taxi app/Uber downloaded on phone; let others know when you are going out and with who)
  49. Identify values, ethics, and beliefs
  50. Embrace the fact that a polite “no” can be a complete sentence

What else is relevant for our young people to know in today’s world?