Parents, teachers and other adults in a child's life should focus on guiding her to reach her full potential. Every day, "teachable moments" provide opportunities to teach life skills, such as problem-solving, social/relationship skills, decision-making and money management. Children who are well-versed in social competencies tend to have higher self-esteem, be better accepted by peers and adults and to achieve greater success in life.
Recognizing a Teachable Moment
Opportunities arise during the course of daily life to instruct and guide a child in developing life skills. Tune into these moments by developing an awareness of the dozens of times a week your child expresses curiosity about or an interest in something. You can create a teachable moment, for example, when your child wants or needs something for a hobby, school or fun. Helping your child learn critical life skills will help her develop a sense of independence and confidence.
Planning, Shopping and Cooking Meals
Encourage your child to look over recipes in cookbooks or magazines and decide what the family will have for dinner. Help him learn the principles of balanced nutrition and the need to include fruit, carbohydrates and vegetables. Together, create a shopping list around the menu, then make a trip to the grocery store. Teach him how to shop for the best bargain, using unit pricing labels. Examine food labels for nutritional value, select quality produce and use store or manufacturer coupons at checkout.
Children can help prepare meals as well. Younger children can grate carrots or cheese, tear lettuce for a salad, shell fresh peas or peel shrimp. Older children can help with more complex dishes, such as casseroles, pasta dishes and cookies. Have children help stir, measure ingredients or perform taste-tester duties. Make cooking interesting and exciting by teaching children to prepare family favorites as well as dishes popular with other cultures.
Learning to Do Laundry
Provide each child with his own laundry basket. Teach the importance of sorting laundry by color and fabric type. Explain the washing machine control panel, discuss the difference between chlorine and non-chlorine bleach, and talk about fabric softener and laundry detergent. Allow your child to measure and pour as necessary. Children also can help fold or roll towels, hang shirts and blouses, match and roll socks, and put away finished laundry.
Money Management
Young children have no concept of money, often assuming that you just go to the ATM and get more when you run out. Start teaching the importance of fiscal management by having them read balances due as you write checks to pay bills. Introduce your child to the concept of saving for larger purchases when he is old enough for an allowance. Teach him to save at least half of the money each week in a piggy bank, or open a savings account at your bank or credit union.
If a child asks for a pet, take her to the pet store to see how much it would cost to buy the animal and all items needed to care for it (food, leash, cage, tank, etc). Tell your child that she is responsible for saving her money and paying half the cost while you agree to match funds and pay the balance.
Teaching about the importance of good credit is important for adolescents and teens. Older children often want big-ticket items, such as game consoles, fancy cell phones, expensive designer label clothes and cars. If your child wants an expensive item, lend him the money with an agreed-upon interest rate and payment schedule. Establish and agree upon repercussions for late payments. Once the loan has been fully paid, discuss the real cost of the item, including interest and penalties, compared with the cash price.
Communication Skills
Communicating effectively involves listening as well as developing speaking and writing skills. Teach children to answer your home phone, request information or schedule an appointment, and take a message. Instruct them to smile and look people in the eye when talking with others. Of primary importance is the ability to start a social conversation, maintain it for two to five minutes, then end it politely. This is an especially important life skill during high school and college years when your child is job hunting, attending parties or dating. Make it fun to practice these skills by role-playing with your child; use different voices or attire and pretend to be someone else.
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