The Top Life Skills Adults Wish They’d Learned as Kids
The biggest reason that we created SkillTrek is because we believe that life skills can make your life so much easier. Not just as kids, but having these life skills as adults too.
That is, after all, why they are called LIFE skills.
We believe that by teaching kids life skills NOW, we are better equipping them to face the future and the world once they are out on their own.
The sad thing, though, is that many adults didn’t have that same advantage. In fact, many of our students are learning skills that some adults STILL struggle with.
And, usually, they are BIG life skills. Ones that can either make your life a breeze to get through or (if you lack them) can make life feel like fighting an uphill battle.
Here are a few life skills we’ve seen adults say they WISH they had learned as kids and how not learning them early on has negatively impacted their lives.
Money Management
This is honestly probably the most important life skill since money plays such a vital role in our everyday lives. Earning money is only part of the battle. Once you have it, you need to learn how to use it wisely. That includes being able to budget your money so that you can pay all of your money expenses, saving money for both emergencies and things you want, as well as investing money so that it earns you even more money. Another part of money management that people don’t always consider is setting up things like retirement funds and college savings accounts.
Time Management
Many people (children and adults alike) struggle with using their time wisely. This is a vital part of being able to juggle the various parts of your life (for example, your job and your family) as well as hitting important life goals. Time management skills like knowing how to prioritize your to-do list and being productive with your time can make a huge difference in your life.
Household Management
As parents, we often complain about how hard it is to keep our households running smoothly. The sink fills up with dirty dishes. The pile of laundry grows bigger each day. Planning and cooking meals feels like a full-time job. Teaching kids how to pitch in with these tasks helps to ensure that they know how to do those things as adults – and do them in a way that makes everything easier.
Car Maintenance
Many adults don’t learn anything about maintaining cars until something goes wrong. “Ma’am, did you know that your brake pads are completely worn out and that your oil should have been changed weeks ago?” Learning about car maintenance (like when to get oil changes and tune-ups) should be something we teach our kids as soon as they are ready to start studying for their driver’s licenses (or sooner). You can also teach your kids how to fill the gas tank as early as elementary school!
Job Hunting
From creating a resume to learning interviewing skills, learning how to get a job is HUGE. After all, without a job, you likely won’t be able to pay your bills, buy a car, buy a home, or anything else.
Insurance Needs
Another thing I have heard adults say they wish they’d learned about sooner is how important insurance (health, auto, and home) is and how to choose a good policy. Teaching kids early on about how insurance might save them a ton of money (or even their life).
These are just a few life skills that we should focus on teaching our kids. They are also skills that we help you teach in Skill Trekkers. To learn more about how you and your family can learn over 450 life skills, head over to our life skills library!
