Let’s chat about something super important – life skills for teens. The big question is, what skills should you teach and when should you ensure your kids are ready to live on their own?
Did you know that life skills count as homeschooling? They are also essential to teach if you want to raise your kids to lead, instead of follow the crowd. Christian leadership education should include a variety of life skills as listed below.
This is also part of “hopping off the traditional school conveyor belt” or “thinking outside the box”. In the end, your children will be better prepared for living on their own when you give them life skills and a leadership education.
How do I know?
All my kids, now grown and on their own, have thanked me for the things we did in our high school homeschool. These include study skills, time management, money management and the like.
In our homeschool in high school, our kids planned their weekly lessons each Monday. As a freshman, I would sit with them and help them write their lesson plan. By January of that year, they were able to plan on their own.
They also chose which subjects they would study in high school, allowing them opportunities to make decisions in their education. This encouraged them to lead or take ownership of their education.
Are you allowing your children to lead as a teen? Or, just do what mom tells them to do, following all the time?
Kerry Beck
They haven’t told me thanks for teaching them Math, Science or Writing. Although, I’m sure they use those skills as an adult, they are grateful for the life skills we taught as teens.
Let’s dive into a few life skills that are absolutely crucial for all homeschoolers to learn during their homeschooling years as a teen.
6 Life Skills for Teens
Organization
Time management, home management – these are gold. From chores to family meal planning, give your kids the gift of being organized. It’s like a magic wand for adulthood!
A few of these tasks could include: meal planning as a family, creating a family calendar of activities, choosing and scheduling their homeschooling subjects, time blocking for lessons and activities, or helping with grocery shopping (and putting them away once home).
Money Management
Don’t wait until your kids are ready for their own job to start the money talk. Open up a bank account and let them learn how to manage it, while they are still at home. Teach them that money isn’t just about spending; it’s a tool.
When my kids were teens, we gave each of them a debit card, so they could learn how to use it properly. We chose a debit card, instead of a credit card, so they would pay attention to their bank balance and not overspend
Business Skills & Entrepreneurship
Not every kid dreams of college. Some want to dive into the business world early on. Equip them with skills like goal-setting, business plan writing, and seeing ideas through. Even if they don’t become business moguls, these skills will be their secret weapons.
All our children worked in our business, learning customer service, accounting, websites and much more.
Communication
With technology ruling the roost, teaching effective communication is a must. It’s not just about talking – it’s about written communication too. Manners, practical lessons – add these to your homeschool curriculum and watch your kids become adults who are able to communicate well with family and friends.
Give them plenty of written & verbal opportunities to communicate as a teen. These might include debate, dinner-time discussions or writing thank you’s.
Relationships
In today’s tech-driven world, our kids need to be top-notch in relationships. Throw in some basic skills like teamwork, dealing with failure, and self-control. Board games and service projects are a fun way to develop teamwork. It’s all about fostering that growth mindset!
Self Care
From physical care to emotional care to spiritual growth, self care is vital as an adult. When you are on your own, you don’t have anyone to tell you to have a quiet time or eat the right foods.
Even though the word “self” is in self care, it’s not about being selfish. It’s about being the best adult they can be, in all areas of life. After all, how can they help others if they don’t take care of themselves?
Freebies to Help Teach Life Skills for Teens
Adding life skills for teens to your homeschooling routine is necessary and often overlooked. It’s about raising independent adults who carry the lessons learned at home into the real world. As you teach life skills for teens, be sure to tap into your child’s interests and let them lead the way!
To help you get organized, I have a 3-part video course, called How to Simplify Your Homeschool. Although I could charge for this course, I’m giving it to you completely free. Just enter your name & email below.
Then, check your Inbox for your first lesson. Each day, I’ll email you a short video with a quick task to get started. You’ll also receive my How to Simplify Your Homeschool Workbook for free. Each video has a one-page task to get you started on the way to confidently homeschooling your children this year.
