Young adults should know the basics of how to take care of themselves, their homes, and their relationships.
Many of today’s youth seem to feel ill-equipped to reach their fullest potential and contribute their gifts and blessings to society. Parents can help by showing their teenage children the skills and qualities necessary to live well and flourish. Here are eight crucial abilities you shouldn’t overlook.
Maintaining Space
The abilities to clean up after yourself, take responsibility for the space you inhabit, and care for the blessings in your life competently are more important than they might seem.Habits such as making your bed in the morning, washing your dishes after you eat, putting away items you find out of place, and keeping a room or home welcoming, beautiful, and warm are beneficial to young men and young women alike.
Your room or your home is both your sanctuary and the launching pad for your life. Outer order can evoke inner order, and vice versa. The state of a living space has an immense impact on life, so help your teens develop competence in making it great.
Preparing Meals
Rather than be dependent on food delivery of suspect nutritional value, your kids should be able to shop for groceries and raw ingredients and turn them into healthy meals and snacks.They should understand kitchen safety, basic cooking principles, and the general nutritional benefits of different foods. Ideally, they should be competent enough in the kitchen that they can put their own creativity to work and develop some recipes of their own.
Managing Finances
The world tempts youth to take on debt and rely on handouts, but teaching your children to become financially self-reliant and to understand how to manage money is paramount. They should understand how and why to create and follow a budget, live on less than they earn, invest wisely, and develop short-term and long-term financial goals.Engaging Spirituality
We are living in times that are best navigated with a firm spiritual foundation. Whatever that means for you and your family, guide your children well to develop that for themselves. Habitually engaging in a spiritual practice takes some discipline and understanding, which parents can help foster.Stewarding Time
We are all given 24 hours each day. Teach your teen how to use those hours wisely. At this age, their responsibilities should be growing. They have their education, their friends and family, perhaps a job, extracurricular activities, and whatever priorities they’ve taken on. Using a calendar, ensuring they get enough sleep every night, and developing a system of daily productivity that works for them are all important skills to master.Calming Oneself
Reports of widespread stress and anxiety among today’s teens are sad and alarming. No doubt, our obsession with digital devices has played a role in that. Stress management and the ability to spend hours each day not staring at a screen are keys to calming the heart and mind. Help your teens find calm.Communicating Well
It’s not uncommon to see teens who struggle to conduct a simple conversation with an adult. Teach your children to speak clearly and forthrightly, use good manners, listen actively, look others in the eye, be kind and compassionate, and communicate humbly but confidently with others.Working Hard
Consistency, diligence, good habits, and a sense of responsibility will lead your teen to become a hard worker and contribute to the family, the community, and the world at large. Show your teens the value of hard work, and when you see them giving their all, let them know.
