Getting Ready for the Future: Why You Should Teach Kids Life Skills
- Written by Diana Smith
None of us is born into this world with knowledge and experience. We all have to spend a lot of time learning important life skills: walking, talking, riding a bike, swimming, reading, and paying taxes. While some things are easier to do than others, we need help to master them. Parents who take time to teach their kids important life skills early on are doing them a huge favor and helping them become more successful in life. Here are some of the reasons why you should take the time to teach your children life skills.
Teach them to swim
One of the basic life skills along riding a bike is swimming, and your children should be able to swim when they grow up. Of course, not everyone has the means or the desire to learn how to swim, but as a parent, you know that you will be more at peace when you don’t worry about them spending time near water. Lakes, rivers, beaches, and swimming pools will not be places of fear, but sanctuaries for kids who aren’t afraid of water. What is more, swimming is great for children’s physical development too, and they will be less likely to suffer from scoliosis if they swim regularly.
Enroll them in a language school
Charlemagne once said: “To have another language is to possess a second soul,” and we can’t help but agree. Native English speakers have an advantage because English is one of the most important languages in the world. This is the reason why so many people choose to learn English – to be able to understand others and be understood by them wherever you choose to go. Parents are also enrolling children in language schools and English learning centers such as Monkey Tree in Hong Kong where they have a chance to learn to speak, read, and write good English from an early age.
Using technology responsibly
While parents usually turn to their kids for help when they need to buy and set up a new smartphone, it’s evident that parents have a much better understanding of the best practices for using new technology. So-called digital natives have to put in much more effort in order to learn to navigate social media as well as to judge the validity of the information found online. Digital media is similar to food, in a way, so playing games like Candy Crush are treats that should be “eaten” occasionally, but other websites and apps can be used for longer periods of time. Teach your kids that the web is full of errors, read interesting articles online together, or create your own content by blogging together.
Help them learn to work in a team
Speaking of blogging together, teamwork is a skill that’s going to help them a lot later on in life. No matter where you look on the market today, people are collaborating. Artists, engineers, scientists, students, teachers, police officers, and CEOs rely on their partners and coworkers to make something big and valuable. Keep in mind that high-value work these days is usually being done in teams, and this is a trend that will not go away anytime soon.
No matter how much you want it to be the case, you will never be able to learn something on behalf of your child. While the road to mastering important life skills is rocky and full of obstacles, by being patient and supportive of your child. Don’t save your praise for medals and first places only but show them how proud you are when they are making an effort and doing their best, too. This way, you will ensure that your kids know you support them no matter what.
Daily Bulletin
