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The goal of every parent is to ensure that their children grow up to be successful, happy and independent adults. But this is easier said than done. These skills extend further than teaching your child how to change the oil in their car or how to unscrew a bulb. These are all things that your child needs in order to plan for a bright future as a self-sufficient adult. Although it can be hard to pinpoint what to prioritize while teaching your children values and skills, here are a couple that every child needs to know in order to become responsible adults. Read on to know them all!
1. How To Defend Yourself
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Knowing how to defend yourself and stay your ground is a skill that all adults and kids should learn. For example, in a more literal sense, learning self defense can give your child confidence and strength to stand up to their bullies. But essentially, you want to teach your child how to find themselves out of a difficult situation. This will help them be independent and someone no one can mess with. We’re not saying that your child needs to learn how to be rash. You can teach them how to stand up for themselves while still being diplomatic and respectful.
Keep in mind that self defense doesn’t have to be physical. Teach your child how to use their words carefully to de-escalate conflict. It is important to know how to be verbally assertive without causing a fight.
2. Teach Them To Apologize
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Teaching your children to be genuinely sorry is probably the most underrated adult skill. As adults, we like to think that we always know the right answer and many of us have a hard time accepting that we were wrong as this would bruise our ego or for fear that we would look bad. But it actually does the opposite. Admitting to a mistake takes courage and character. This is what will set your child apart from everyone else. Simply teaching our children to say, “I sincerely apologize, or I’m sorry,” is useless. We must ensure they truly regret their actions. They must take accountability for their actions. This will make them self aware as adults so that they correct themselves whenever they’ve done something untoward.
3. How To Solve Problems
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As much as we’d like to do everything for your children, it is imperative that they know how to deal with problems by themselves as they grow. The first stage is to teach your child how to deal with a problem instead of resorting to throwing tantrums. As important as it is to recognize negative emotions, the goal is to find ways to move past them. Show your child it’s okay to ask you or another trusted grown up for help. Validate their emotions without making them dwell on them. Instead, ask them to come up with different solutions. Ask them what would make them feel better. Give them the autonomy they want and let them figure it out. Problem solving is a huge part of adulthood. You probably do it all day long everyday, so let your children exercise this skill as much as possible.
4. How To Prioritize And Manage Tasks
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Learning how to cook, clean and take care of yourself is all redundant if you cannot prioritize tasks and assign a specific time to them in order to be able to get things done! This may be a difficult concept for your child to grasp at first but you can simplify prioritizing by putting things in order. While listing out some tasks, tell them what to do first, next and last. This will help them understand how to do things based on importance and time constraints.
Speaking of time, one thing you don’t want to do as an adult is run late. It makes you look sloppy and disrespectful. Make sure your child knows how to measure time and how to keep to it. For example, assign a task to them and tell them to complete within a set time. See how well they do and help them improve.
Raising a child into an independent and well prepared adult is easier said than done. It goes without saying that you and your little one may have a couple of road blocks on the way. Be patient and encourage them in their learning process. Now that you know what your child needs to be a successful adult, you’re going to do just fine. Happy parenting!
