What I have thought, lately anyway, is that with kids you have to teach them younger than you’d think.
They can learn pretty much anything you want to share with them. But, we keep things from them until it is too late. They don’t want to learn or they are just not interested in what we have to say after a certain age.
I am exaggerating of course, there are plenty of things they will learn and want to know…but sometimes it is just “easier to do it yourself” than to have them help.
- Gardening.
- Lawn care.
- Cooking.
- Folding laundry.
- Cleaning.
- Painting.
- Repairs.
Maybe there was a time in parenting and having a career when there was so little time…doing it yourself was just easier.
But, if you didn’t take the opportunity then, you may have missed it.
Now, we have (because we need) “Adulting 101” classes for high schoolers who are headed off to college, their first job, or living on their own.
They don’t know how to do basic things.
- Repot a plant or start a new clipping with roots of their own.
- Mow the lawn or weed the garden without pulling perennials.
- Boil water for pasta or make an omelette.
- Fold a shirt without wrinkles in the front or towels so that they fit optimally on the shelf.
- Clean the kitchen or a bathroom.
- Paint a room and make a nice clean edgeline.
- Fix a broken lightswitch or change a tire.
It’s not too late, there are still things you can pass on to them.
- How to educate themselves to look deeper than the headline.
- How to write a business plan.
- How to pay close attention to people and their feelings, to create a closer friendship that is a strong basis for marriage.
- How to interview to get the job you want and the pay you deserve.
- How to destress after work.
- How to listen.
- How to give a hug that shows you care.
- How to write a meaningful thank you letter, that people will remember far longer than the gift they gave.
Teach them younger than you think they need to know and it will be better all around. There is still time. Start now.
~ Dawn aka Hat Girl