General Life Skills List for Teens

[fairfarmhand]

I have a class of homeschooled kids from grades 7-12.

We were doing an activity this week and the kids were supposed to mimic opening a can with a can opener. Surprisingly, several of them said this was something they couldn't do. So I said, "Okay, guys. if you don't know how to open a can with a can opener, I want you to master the skill by next week."

I think this will be a fun way to challenge the kids each week, no pressure, just a random "Hey who can do this by next week." Some of the kids will already have done some if not all of these things, but I think it's a good way to get the kids thinking a bit more independently and trying new things. 

Here's what I have so far. Does anyone have things to add to the list?

1. Use a can opener

2. Check the oil in a car

3. Use a piece of lawn care equipment (lawn mower, weed eater, chain saw, etc)

4. Fold a fitted sheet

5. Address an envelope

6. Turn off a toilet that is overflowing

7. Unclog a toilet

8. Bake a quick bread recipe (biscuits, cornbread, quick loaf)

9. Iron a piece of clothing

10. Sew on a button

 

 

[LifeLovePassion]

Call a business and ask a question. (Skill for making an appointment, but that is hard to practice)

Make a purchase at a store.

Plan and cook a meal

 

[Drama Llama]

What is the subject of the class?

I am a big believer in kids developing skills, and my kids have most of the skills on the list.  But, I wouldn't be thrilled if I paid for my kid to take a class to learn a specific skill set that I didn't feel like I could teach, and instead they were learning things that I could easily, if I chose, teach at home. 

On the other hand, if this is a life skills class of some sort, I think that's a great list!  

[fairfarmhand]

2 minutes ago, Baseballandhockey said:

What is the subject of the class?

I am a big believer in kids developing skills, and my kids have most of the skills on the list.  But, I wouldn't be thrilled if I paid for my kid to take a class to learn a specific skill set that I didn't feel like I could teach, and instead they were learning things that I could easily, if I chose, teach at home. 

On the other hand, if this is a life skills class of some sort, I think that's a great list!  

It's not a life skills class and it's not a "have to" as part of the class. Nobody has to participate if they don't want to. And I won't be teaching the skills. They get to figure it out on their own time. Only if they want to. 

The kids are already chatting about opening cans on the Classroom today. They are so funny. It is so interesting how they can take something so basic and talk about it all day.

[itsheresomewhere]

Personally, I would take make a quick bread off the list.  Some will never get into baking and truthfully, that is not a important skill.  They will learn it if they want too.   And folding a fitted sheet has a few ways so I wouldn’t include that either.  
 

The list I used when I taught a life skills class included-  checking the oil in the car along with the how to add windshield washer fluid, learning how to do a load of laundry, how to unclog the toilet and how to turn off the water, how to make a simple meal, basic cleaning, going to the store and budgeting, calling a business and asking a question, using basic tools and what they are for, etc.  I did do how to make a bed including putting sheets on it as some of the kids had never done it and were talking about how to do it.  

Edited January 20, 2022 by itsheresomewhere

[fairfarmhand]

Just now, itsheresomewhere said:

Personally, I would take make a quick bread off the list.  Some will never get into baking and truthfully, that is not a important skill.  They will learn it if they want too.  And folding a fitted sheet has a few ways so I wouldn’t include them either.  
 

The list I used when I taught a life skills class included-  checking the oil in the car along with the how to add windshield washer fluid, learning how to do a load of laundry, how to unclog the toilet and how to turn off the water, how to make a simple meal, basic cleaning, going to the store and budgeting, calling a business and asking a question, using basic tools and what they are for, etc.  I did do how to make a bed including putting sheets on it as some of the kids had never done it and were talking about how to do it.  

Thank you! That is helpful.

[Pintosrock]

Change a flat tire.

Balance a checkbook.

 

[DreamerGirl]

Bread is something even I do not know until the pandemic and I am a competent cook and I do not know how to fold a fitted sheet the proper way. 😊

I nor DH have never mowed a lawn in our lives, never taken care of our vehicles, changed a flat. I do not iron and shove it in the dryer or use a steamer. Never had a check book.

I think basic skills are money management, cooking and cleaning. 

1. Money management and top is saving, budgeting, credit, market. I would do course for this. I would not do Dave Ramsey type because of his philosophy. I will instead teach how to use credit the wise way. I think every person needs to know money management.

2. Planning and cooking healthy meals. Reading a recipe tops it though I am very much a feel, smell, touch cook.

I used this guide as a basic for my son and tweaked/built upon it like cooking rice, smelling the masala to know when it is done about our cuisine.

https://abundanceofflavor.com/basic-cooking-skills/

3. Cleaning be it sweeping, mopping, dusting and using a vac. Though I plan to gift a robot vac to my kids.

4. Washing a dish by hand. Surprisingly not a lot of people know this and outside of the US dishwashers are rare.

5. Laundry including  hand wash. 

6. How to dry clothes as in without a dryer. Outside of US, dryers not very common. Depends on lifestyle tho.

7. Unclog a toilet

8. Unclog a sink

9. Turn water off.

10. How to use YouTube. Seriously, you can learn a lot from it. Both DH and I did.

11. Physical activity is a life skill IMO. 

12. Meditation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tanaqui]

If this is a fun bonus, why not have the kids come up with their own ideas of things they think they ought to learn to do before adulthood? Setting goals is also a life skill.

[Sneezyone]

Honestly...having observed my oldest absorb NONE of my cooking skills/teaching offers (she can follow a recipe...sort of), I would keep the quick bread and raise you a basic white/red/veloute sauce, LOL! I practically brow-beat the child into taking Culinary Arts next year as part of adulting prep. I am soooooo relieved. Then again, my kids do their own laundry and clean their bathroom and maybe some of the others need help in that area too.

In addition to those (definitely the cold-call challenge!!), I would add a problem-solving challenge as the piece de resistance... Give them a scenario and have them discuss what they would do to solve the problem. Budgeting for two, flickering light, gurgling pipes, un-level floors.... anything. OOOOOOHHHH...I know... how to take a subway/bus from point A to point B in an unfamiliar area? My kids, even DH (b/c he grew up rural) were stumped in Europe and NYC.

 

Edited January 20, 2022 by Sneezyone

[Tiberia]

When my dd was 12, I had her make a list of things that she thought she needed as an adult, that were mysteries to her.

1. Put gas in a car

2. Pay taxes

3. Pay a speeding ticket

😀

Luckily, she has not needed #3 yet, and we have not been able to model it for her.

[Bootsie]

Make a cup of coffee.  I was surprised several years ago when I asked a class of college students how much Starbuck would have to charge for that cup of coffee they were drinking for them to start making coffee at home and I was amazed at the responses--"Oh, that isn't practical because you need a machine that costs thousands of dollars" to "I don't have time, it takes at least an hour to make a cup of coffee".

 

[mommyoffive]

38 minutes ago, Pintosrock said:

Change a flat tire.

Balance a checkbook.

 

Does anyone still do this?   I don't think I ever have done this.  Maybe in high school.  It has been at least a decade or more since I wrote a check.  

[plaidpants]

Track bills/in/out if not a checkbook

Send a formal-ish email.

How to handle an emergency (just the basic "know that something happened and who to call")

[Sneezyone]

25 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Does anyone still do this?   I don't think I ever have done this.  Maybe in high school.  It has been at least a decade or more since I wrote a check.  

I write/take checks but only when the person/business cannot easily accept/send e-payments (or I'm making a snarky statement), usually with relatives. No need to balance a checkbook tho. If I write one, I expect the recipient to e-deposit the check. Maybe e-depositing a check is a better challenge?

Edited January 20, 2022 by Sneezyone

[Sneezyone]

CHECKING THEIR CREDIT REPORT!! There are tons of free services for that.

[fairfarmhand]

Isn't it interesting how these can vary depending on how people live and where they live?

There is no bus or subway anywhere close to where we live. But I'm fairly certain that at least half of my students already know how to operate lawn care equipment. My ds can operate a chainsaw, weedeater, both kinds of lawn mowers, and he's also working on learning to drive our tractor.

I still have parents pay me with checks all the time.

I'm keeping the "fold a fitted sheet" I know it is not strictly necessary. (people have been shoving them in wads in the closet for decades) But my dd and her friends challenged each other during quarantine to learn various things and they all had so much fun figuring that one out. 

[Murphy101]

Anything day to day in the house. 

cleaning (apparently laundry and dishes are things college kids struggle with)

basic cooking aka how to follow cooking directions

personaly health maintenance. Scheduling eye and dental appts, taking vitamins and knowing how to treat basic illnesses. Difference between acetaminophen and ibuprofen. That it’s important to stock such things when you are NOT already sick.

car maintenance.

how to balance their bank account and make a budget. We may not have checkbooks but we do still need to know what bills are being paid when, leave money there for them to process.  How to use credit and how NOT to use credit.

How to fill out employment new hire paperwork and how to do taxes.

How to shop for car and rental insurance. 

to understand that they should plan for the worst but hope for the best. It isn’t bad luck that you got a flat tire. Flat tires and sick days without pay happen to everyone at some point and you should plan for it as best you can. 

how to walk away before spending money. Salesmen are salesmen and everyone is selling something. Our knee jerk policy is that if we feel pressure to buy - the answer is no. We will go home and think about it a couple days. Yeah sometimes we have missed a great whatever but way more often it saved us money and stress.
 

how to ask questions.  This is no joke the biggest and most important of all. Too many people deal with a lot of avoidable crap if they had just asked a question or two instead of worrying they’d look stupid or like a mama’s boy or some other nonsense. ASK QUESTIONS and for help from people you trust!!!

 

[Sneezyone]

7 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

Isn't it interesting how these can vary depending on how people live and where they live?

There is no bus or subway anywhere close to where we live. But I'm fairly certain that at least half of my students already know how to operate lawn care equipment. My ds can operate a chainsaw, weedeater, both kinds of lawn mowers, and he's also working on learning to drive our tractor.

I still have parents pay me with checks all the time.

I'm keeping the "fold a fitted sheet" I know it is not strictly necessary. (people have been shoving them in wads in the closet for decades) But my dd and her friends challenged each other during quarantine to learn various things and they all had so much fun figuring that one out. 

Definitely tailor to your audience. :)

[Tanaqui]

Quote

I'm keeping the "fold a fitted sheet" I know it is not strictly necessary. (people have been shoving them in wads in the closet for decades) But my dd and her friends challenged each other during quarantine to learn various things and they all had so much fun figuring that one out. 

 

Every time this comes up in my life, I seriously consider whether or not it'd be less of a hassle to just make the bed with flat sheets, hospital corners and all.

I do have one that might not be on anybody's lists, now that I think about it - how to navigate without GPS, using maps, landmarks, and the old standby of asking for help.

Relying on GPS absolutely screws up people's ability to navigate on their own.

[fairfarmhand]

6 minutes ago, Murphy101 said:

 

how to ask questions.  This is no joke the biggest and most important of all. Too many people deal with a lot of avoidable crap if they had just asked a question or two instead of worrying they’d look stupid or like a mama’s boy or some other nonsense. ASK QUESTIONS and for help from people you trust!!!

 

THIS IS SO HUGE! 

 

I've reinforced to my kids that there is NO SHAME in not knowing something and most people are glad to help with stuff if they know you are struggling.

[goldberry]

How to find reliable information on the internet, in particular about health related issues.  I was originally thinking about "how to know when you need to go to the doctor" but this would cover it.  I have seen young adults go to the doctor or hospital over silly things, then NOT GO for things that were dangerous.  Evaluating media sources on the internet is so important.

 

[fairfarmhand]

And...the kids are still chatting about can opening on my Google classroom. They have created a "can opening club" I really think they are going to have fun with the "how to plunge a toilet" week.

[fairfarmhand]

3 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

 

Every time this comes up in my life, I seriously consider whether or not it'd be less of a hassle to just make the bed with flat sheets, hospital corners and all.

I do have one that might not be on anybody's lists, now that I think about it - how to navigate without GPS, using maps, landmarks, and the old standby of asking for help.

Relying on GPS absolutely screws up people's ability to navigate on their own.

This absolutely would be wonderful. But...

I (said shamefully) am really terrible at this kind of thing. I did okay when I lived in Florida and it was flat and most of the streets ran parallel to one another. But when I moved to Tn and the roads follow the contours of hills, ridges, valleys, streams, and mountains, along with whatever little farm lanes were created at random...I got lost all the time.

Still would if not for GPS. I was so glad when I was able to use a GPS for navigation. Before that, I constantly was having to turn around, tell myself...this doesn't look right....ask for directions. Every trip to a new place was frustrating and anxiety producing. I legitimately have some weird hang-up about directions. My dh is very good at that kind of thing and he was relieved when I got GPS because it wasn't uncommon for me to end up in weird unsafe places. 

[Murphy101]

3 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

THIS IS SO HUGE! 

 

I've reinforced to my kids that there is NO SHAME in not knowing something and most people are glad to help with stuff if they know you are struggling.

Every college professor I’ve ever met says they know they have students who are smart and capable but won’t ask for help and that’s the reason they fail.  Every employer I’ve ever met says they have employees who make major screw ups bc they just didn’t want to ask a question. Every priest I’ve ever met says it breaks their heart how many people don’t ask questions bc they are scared of the answers ending in rejection when most of the time the answer is love. Every decent parent I know has had a kid who was devastated by what they thought their parents thought but never asked to find out they were wrong. Every legal situation is made worse for not wanting or knowing how to ask for help. Every doctor is familiar with “doorknob syndrome”.

[Lucy the Valiant]

55 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Does anyone still do this?   I don't think I ever have done this.  Maybe in high school.  It has been at least a decade or more since I wrote a check.  

I often tutor high school kids whose parents have given them a blank check; the students OFTEN offer me the check to fill out for myself, because they don't know how to do it. (They do know how to Venmo, which I agree is more important for their generation, but still.) I NEVER write myself a check, and ALWAYS walk them through how to do it, and then congratulate them on picking up a new life skill. 😉 

[Kassia]

21 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

 

 

I've reinforced to my kids that there is NO SHAME in not knowing something and most people are glad to help with stuff if they know you are struggling.

I agree.  Two of my four kids struggle with this because of their personalities.  They know how to ask for help but they are very passive and introverted and just hate doing it.  They'd rather struggle on their own for a while before asking.  They will eventually ask but it would make their lives SO much easier if they just asked in the first place.  Most of the time they need help for very valid reasons (like getting a task at a new job that they were never trained for or taught to do) and no one would mind or judge for helping out.

 

[Soror]

39 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

Make a cup of coffee.  I was surprised several years ago when I asked a class of college students how much Starbuck would have to charge for that cup of coffee they were drinking for them to start making coffee at home and I was amazed at the responses--"Oh, that isn't practical because you need a machine that costs thousands of dollars" to "I don't have time, it takes at least an hour to make a cup of coffee".

 

I've never made a cup of coffee or had a reason to. Dh just started drinking coffee a couple of years ago when he got a new job. We don't even own a coffee maker. I don't like coffee and never saw a reason to acclimate to the taste of something not good for me (now of course there is research that it could be good for you). I digress.... 

On my list I was thinking of--

budgeting, general money management, using credit wisely- I don't balance my check book but do reconcile my accounts regularly. In this day and age one needs to keep vigilant with your accounts because not only do you need to watch your own transactions to make sure you have enough money in your account for your bills but to watch for fraudulent activity. Also, no matter how you budget one needs to learn about budgeting for maintenance- the more you own the more you have to maintain/replace - electronics, vehicles, home. And again budgeting (in whatever manner) starts with determining income level- then needs and wants. Prioritizing. -- Of course, it may or may not sink in my AdHD kid is not good at all with money management-- we give the info and keep trying to help in different ways and hope that one day with time to mature it will then be of use. (not that none of it sinks in but ....)

In the realm of car maintenance- in addition to the oil change- the basics changing air filters and wipers- same with mowers. What do you do when you get a fault light? Not just let it sit? What do you do if you hear a noise? Again not ignore it!!!

home maintenance- changing a/c filters, cleaning dishwasher filters (not all have that I know b/c my last one didn't but still had to be cleaned out), cleaning out a/c grates. research new items so you know how to properly care and maintain them so they last.

re: fitted sheets- I worked at a hotel in college and we just used fitted sheets. I dont' see it as a big deal either way. I've tried to teach the dh and dc's how to fold a fitted one but they don't get it. Honestly, it doesn't matter.

I've done a lot of narrating with the kids about buying things- used and new. Researching - reviews, features, sellers. Safety and smarts- if buying from people- meet in public places, be aware of scams, etc.

[thewellerman]

Dealing with smoke detectors.  Find out what the various beeps mean, how the battery backup works, and etc. 

Edited January 20, 2022 by thewellerman

[Murphy101]

At around 12/13, I sit them down and hand draw a map of our city. Which is super easy bc our city is one of the few based on a grid system.  On this map they learn where major things in our life are located. The church. The library. Schools. Stores. Bank. The cardinal directions. How the streets are named (Major streets are numbers (and names of trees) going n/s get higher the further south you go.  Major e/w streets are names, usually of other cities. All my children over 11 can walk up to 5 miles in any direction from my house and find their way back. BUT. We are walking people in a world of people who I have watched drive less than the distance of 2-3 houses to drop something off. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

17 minutes ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

I often tutor high school kids whose parents have given them a blank check; the students OFTEN offer me the check to fill out for myself, because they don't know how to do it. (They do know how to Venmo, which I agree is more important for their generation, but still.) I NEVER write myself a check, and ALWAYS walk them through how to do it, and then congratulate them on picking up a new life skill. 😉 

I have had two times when power was out in storms due to a storm when I was the only person who was able to buy my groceries or pharmacy items because I had a checkbook with me.  Everyone else had to put back their purchases because they had no cash and the credit card machines weren't working. 

[Murphy101]

1 minute ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

I have had two times when power was out in storms due to a storm when I was the only person who was able to buy my groceries or pharmacy items because I had a checkbook with me.  Everyone else had to put back their purchases because they had no cash and the credit card machines weren't working. 

No place here will take a check if their tech system is down. I can’t remember the last time I saw a check not automatically processed through the machine thingy. 

[PaxEtLux]

 

I love this idea, and you probably know this, but my experience is that any activity with food will hold the attention of teenagers.

[fairfarmhand]

3 minutes ago, PaxEtLux said:

 

I love this idea, and you probably know this, but my experience is that any activity with food will hold the attention of teenagers.

Wise words

[Guest]

1 hour ago, mommyoffive said:

Does anyone still do this?   I don't think I ever have done this.  Maybe in high school.  It has been at least a decade or more since I wrote a check.  

I have to do it for my husband’s company and I hate it with a passion. Plus, I have to balance it across three records - the physical checkbook, the online accounting and the bank statements. I tend to put it off and then I am even more discouraged because I’m trying to find a needle in a haystack to figure out why it won’t square for all three. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

7 minutes ago, Murphy101 said:

No place here will take a check if their tech system is down. I can’t remember the last time I saw a check not automatically processed through the machine thingy. 

I am sure that they processed the check later when the power came back on.  But everyone around here knows me and they are able to put the check aside, which they can't do with a credit card. 

[Carrie12345]

On cooking, I’d say How To Read a Recipe.  Any recipe.  My 5 vary widely on their culinary skills, some because they refuse to read through a recipe before trying to execute it.  I’m all for learning on the go and experimenting, but if I have to bite into one more hunk of baking powder because people keep “forgetting” to combine dry ingredients first, I’m gonna puke! The stuff written after the ingredients list matters, lol.

 

[Sneezyone]

27 minutes ago, Murphy101 said:

No place here will take a check if their tech system is down. I can’t remember the last time I saw a check not automatically processed through the machine thingy. 

Yep. In that case, you need cash.

[athena1277]

Probably not an issue with the OP’s group, but make sure they can sign their name properly, in cursive.  My mom worked for the school system where she lives and one of her jobs was giving work permits to teens.  They had to sign a form, but quite a few could not.  She would have to give a quick tutorial and have them practice so they could sign the form.  Even if they never write or sign checks, there are still so many forms that must be signed.  

[Murphy101]

1 minute ago, athena1277 said:

Probably not an issue with the OP’s group, but make sure they can sign their name properly, in cursive.  My mom worked for the school system where she lives and one of her jobs was giving work permits to teens.  They had to sign a form, but quite a few could not.  She would have to give a quick tutorial and have them practice so they could sign the form.  Even if they never write or sign checks, there are still so many forms that must be signed.  

FYI. There is actually zero legal requirement to use cursive on legal documents, including checks.

[DreamerGirl]

If you ask me the #1 thing every single child should know, it is money management. Regardless of how much you earn, your lifestyle depends on how you manage the money.

Number 2 would be cleaning or someone who would not live with a mess. Dirty dishes, trash overflowing, stuff on floor, dust.

These two impact a  relationship in my experience.

I have met many smart people doing post graduate in STEM yet could not wash dishes. Did not know how to budget. Two of them impacted me directly when we were room mates. But poor money management when they made more than me and dirty was ok was something that made living with them difficult.  They were really good people, smart in other ways but I could never live with that. I got out at the first opportunity I could.

I absolutely knew what kind of husband I wanted based on that alone and what I would put up with. 

Money management especially is fundamental to lifestyle not earning, so absolutely #1 for me.

Cooking is also very important especially now. Easy, nutritious and cheap meals that are easy to make. 

[Kassia]

30 minutes ago, DreamerGirl said:

I

Number 2 would be cleaning or someone who would not live with a mess. Dirty dishes, trash overflowing, stuff on floor, dust.

These two impact a  relationship in my experience.

I have met many smart people doing post graduate in STEM yet could not wash dishes. Did not know how to budget. Two of them impacted me directly when we were room mates. But poor money management when they made more than me and dirty was ok was something that made living with them difficult.  They were really good people, smart in other ways but I could never live with that. I got out at the first opportunity I could.

 

My poor dd is going through this with her roommates now.  It is awful and I feel so bad for her.  She has her own room and shares a bathroom with only one roommate but the kitchen is absolutely disgusting (4 girls).  She has sent me video and I am appalled at how gross they leave the kitchen.  She can't even cook in the kitchen because the counters are a mess and the sink is piled high with dishes with food still on them.  They have fruit flies now and just had ants.  She said her boyfriend is way neater than any of her three female roommates.  And it's like two of the roommates don't even understand that food being left out attracts bugs!  

All of my kids were neater than their roommates in college (and ds1 is neater than his gf) but it was never this bad.  

 

[Melissa Louise]

4 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Does anyone still do this?   I don't think I ever have done this.  Maybe in high school.  It has been at least a decade or more since I wrote a check.  

I haven't even seen a cheque book since the 80's! 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

I think it can be helpful to do the teenage version of Montessori grace and courtesy lessons.

Things like:

- how to decline an invitation 

- how to accept a compliment 

- how to disagree respectfully

- how to diffuse an argument 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TechWife]

Make an appointment for something - doctor, dentist, hair cut, anything. This helps them learn to juggle a schedule & plan realistically.

Get a prescription filled or refilled for themselves or a family member.  The process can be somewhat confusing depending on how the md writes & sends prescriptions.

[TechWife]

Just now, chocolate-chip chooky said:

I think it can be helpful to do the teenage version of Montessori grace and courtesy lessons.

Things like:

- how to decline an invitation 

- how to accept a compliment 

- how to disagree respectfully

- how to diffuse an argument 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tagging on to this:

How to hand write a thank you note

How to hand write a sympathy note (my son had to do this for real before he finished high school)

How to hand write a congratulatory note - personal and professional

Emily Post's Etiquette Manners for Today is a fantastic resource if anyone is looking for a grad gift later this year.

[Sneezyone]

14 minutes ago, TechWife said:

Emily Post's Etiquette Manners for Today is a fantastic resource if anyone is looking for a grad gift later this year.

Is it *really* up to date b/c I couldn't care less if I got a handwritten thank you from anyone. A email acknowledgement of receipt/thanks is perfectly good by me and I'm 45. I would love to gift something like this to DD but only if it's current. The only persons I know who prefer handwritten are 70+.

Edited January 20, 2022 by Sneezyone

[Elizabeth86]

You don’t actually expect anyone to fold a fitted sheet do you?

[kbutton]

5 hours ago, itsheresomewhere said:

Personally, I would take make a quick bread off the list.  Some will never get into baking and truthfully, that is not a important skill.  They will learn it if they want too.   And folding a fitted sheet has a few ways so I wouldn’t include that either.  

I think any list of life skills with have things people quibble over, but almost any skill, even some that would be considered outdated, has a component to it that is worth learning (task management, problem-solving, following various kinds of directions). 

4 hours ago, Tanaqui said:

If this is a fun bonus, why not have the kids come up with their own ideas of things they think they ought to learn to do before adulthood? Setting goals is also a life skill.

Love it!

4 hours ago, Sneezyone said:

In addition to those (definitely the cold-call challenge!!), I would add a problem-solving challenge as the piece de resistance... Give them a scenario and have them discuss what they would do to solve the problem. Budgeting for two, flickering light, gurgling pipes, un-level floors.... anything. OOOOOOHHHH...I know... how to take a subway/bus from point A to point B in an unfamiliar area? My kids, even DH (b/c he grew up rural) were stumped in Europe and NYC.

I wish I knew how to do public transportation. I have bumbled through Ubering once. I don't live where it's common, but any instruction would give me a leg up. Seems like lots of places with public transportation have stops that are unmanned, which would leave me totally high and dry.

4 hours ago, Tanaqui said:

I do have one that might not be on anybody's lists, now that I think about it - how to navigate without GPS, using maps, landmarks, and the old standby of asking for help.

Relying on GPS absolutely screws up people's ability to navigate on their own.

Yes! I've been stranded more times than I can count by various GPS-based services. It's sometimes due to being where there is spotty service and sometimes due to GPS not knowing where a public entrance is to a park. A lot of parks here have multiple entrances and roads, and they often do not meet up! You can go in and out and in and out and not find where you are supposed to be because the entrance GPS chose is not on the correct side of the park, and you can't always drive around it the park edges to find another entrance. It's maddening!

3 hours ago, fairfarmhand said:

This absolutely would be wonderful. But...

I (said shamefully) am really terrible at this kind of thing. I did okay when I lived in Florida and it was flat and most of the streets ran parallel to one another. But when I moved to Tn and the roads follow the contours of hills, ridges, valleys, streams, and mountains, along with whatever little farm lanes were created at random...I got lost all the time.

Still would if not for GPS. I was so glad when I was able to use a GPS for navigation. Before that, I constantly was having to turn around, tell myself...this doesn't look right....ask for directions. Every trip to a new place was frustrating and anxiety producing. I legitimately have some weird hang-up about directions. My dh is very good at that kind of thing and he was relieved when I got GPS because it wasn't uncommon for me to end up in weird unsafe places. 

My dad has the opposite experience--he can navigate around geographical features, but he's utterly lost when things run in grids. It took me time to adjust to that as well.

I think that knowing what to do when you're not a good navigator is a skill too--knowing when and how to turn around on different kinds of roads and how to be safe in traffic when you are flustered and potentially off track is a skill! Maybe one of your students will come up with a way to help you make sense of navigating with maps. 🙂 

I'll add filling out forms as a life skill.

 

[fairfarmhand]

1 minute ago, Elizabeth86 said:

You don’t actually expect anyone to fold a fitted sheet do you?

They don't have to do it. Nobody will be doing it in class at any rate. This is just a fun thing for the kids to try. I'm amazed at how much fun they're having talking about opening cans so I fully expect them to talk trash about who can fold the fitted sheet the fastest or some such bragging.