I see posts on social media fairly often about the fact that teenagers today spend a lot of time on their phones but they don't seem to understand basic life skills like how to change a tire or how to sew on a button. We need to do better, parents.
This is nothing new, however. When I started college there were plenty of freshmen girls who had no idea how to wash a load of clothes. I had been doing laundry since I was about 9 -- as soon as I was tall enough to reach into the washing machine. I had been cooking since the age of 5. My grandmother taught me basic sewing skills before I was 10.
My mother and I were talking about this yesterday. She learned a lot about housekeeping and decorating in Home Economics classes. My brother learned a lot in Shop class in high school. Those classes need to be standard curriculum in all high schools, since parents aren't really teaching basic skills any more.
I also think no teen should have to take a higher math class like calculus unless they know they are going to be a scientist or engineer, or some profession where that might be useful. Nor should a kid who isn't bound for college have to take advanced science. When I was in high school I tool Algebra I and Geometry. Never took Calculus. I took 1 year of Earth Science and a year of basic Biology. Never needed any advanced math or science in real life, either. Why do we now force kids to take advanced math and science when they aren't needed?
I wish someone had taught me basic money management. I took a class in college that was supposed to teach me that stuff but all it did was confuse me.
NOTE: If you are a wealthy person and can pay someone to cook, clean, do laundry, etc. for you, you can stop reading now. If you are raising kids who will continue to be wealthy, stop reading.
I grew up very middle class. Most everyone I know grew up middle class or working class. We aren't blessed with having unlimited funds and a slew of people to do all the work for us.
Why are we forcing all kids in high school to take Calculus, but not teaching them basic skills?!?
If I were designing a class or series of classes for teenagers here are the topics I would want to see covered:
BASIC FIRST AID -- basic wound care, when to call 911, CPR. Sometimes this is covered in Health class, sometimes not. An infected wound can cause huge problems. Does your child know about germs?
CAR MAINTENANCE -- no, you don't need to be a mechanic. When I was out of college and working I forgot to get the oil changed in my car and one day it stopped running and was going to cost a fortune to fix. Lesson learned. Everyone should know how to change a tire and jump start a car, though.
MONEY MANAGEMENT -- This is a big one. So many kids have no idea what a credit score is, or how to open a savings account, or how to live on a budget. I was talking to a friend of my son's not long ago and he was 19 and had no bank account. Shame on his parents. I offered to help him get one opened and he refused my offer. Crazy.
CAREER COUNSELING -- I know most high schools have this but I think they need to do better. Not everyone has to go to college to have a happy life. Mike Rowe Works Foundation is a terrific foundation, aimed at helping all kids get good job skills. They loan money to kids to go to "trade schools" -- "We keep lending money we don’t have to people who can’t pay it back for jobs that don’t exist. Bit by bit, our culture reaffirms the misguided belief that a career in the skilled trades shouldn’t be desired." This is a great organization. I know a lot of skilled trades cannot hire people because there aren't enough qualified candidates. It's sad.
HOME SKILLS -- How do you stop a running toilet? What do you do about mold in the bathroom? Why is it important to put mulch around flowerbeds? What emergency items should you keep on hand in case of a power outage? Can you grow a tomato? So many of these skills are not being taught nowadays. In all honesty, I learned most of them on my own.
BASIC COOKING -- I have a friend whose grown child has literally no idea how to do anything beyond heating up food in a microwave or pouring a bowl of cereal. I'm not sure if she can even make a sandwich. Her mother is equally clueless. These are intelligent folks. They are health-conscious, too. Eating real food, not highly processed food, should be the goal every day. To do that, you need to know things like how to chop up an onion, how to shop for good meat, how to tell if a melon is sweet -- and then how to peel and chop it. What type of milk is best? How do you tell if an avocado is ready to eat? If you're vegetarian, it's really vital that you educate your child about nutrition and protein, so they get everything they need from food.
BASIC SELF DEFENSE -- What do you do if you're at school or work and somebody pulls out a gun and starts shooting? What do you do if someone is trying to break into your house? How do you handle a mugger? My brother has taught us well, but most folks never think about this until they become a crime victim.
PARENTING -- Most teens will be parents at some point in life. Shouldn't they understand what it takes to be a good parent? It involves all the skills mentioned here plus a bunch more. It's not just about changing diapers and choosing the right school.
I think the biggest issue is now we are seeing multiple generations that don't know this stuff. Teaching kids all these things is so important. We have parents who both work full-time and they are barely getting enough sleep and they don't know if the toilet is overflowing it needs to be turned off at the wall. They don't know that baking soda will put out an electrical fire. They spend a lot of time making sure their kids look right and have nice clothes and they do their homework but they think that's most of the job. It's not. It's just the tip of the iceberg.
Not everything can be solved by Googling it. Sometimes you need hands-on instruction.
We need to do better...
