Life is full of surprises, but not all are pleasant. If you want to save your children from the nasty surprises in adulthood, you should help them acquire these basic life skills as a youth.
Here are the 11 essential life skills for Kenyan teens to
learn:
1. Money or Budgeting Skills
First among the 11 essential life skills for Kenyan teens to
learn is… Money. Money may not be the most important thing in life, but it
certainly is vital for a comfortable life. Education gives you the knowledge
and some skills you need to become employable. But it may not give you the
skills to manage your earnings and spending, save money, etc. In simple words,
you need to make your teenagers financially literate. The important financial
concepts that you can help them learn to include:
- Make a
budget and stick to it. Your children should know when to spend and when
to save.
- Maintain
financial records and start a savings account.
- Assess
the basic market value of goods.
2. Cooking or Food Skills
Knowing how to procure food or cook food is one of the
primary life skills for teenagers. Teach them the below basic food skills so
that they can survive in any part of the world.
3. Dress Sense
Your teenagers will not continue to dress themselves like
the way you once dressed them. They may change their style completely owing to
external influences, but the chances are that they are likely to get influenced
by the wrong people. So, here is how they get one of the everyday skills right.
- Picking
the right-sized clothes, a decent outfit.
- Choosing
the right kind of clothes for the right occasion.
- Sewing
is a skill both men and women can benefit from.
- Iron a
shirt, a trouser or suit.
- Do the
laundry and fold clothes.
- Read
and understand fabric labels.
4. Personal Grooming
Grooming is a skill that children should be taught early on.
Personal grooming is important to stay healthy and also have a good social or
romantic life.
- Explain
the importance of keeping their bodies clean. It is important that they
know how to care for their skin and hair.
- Boys
should know how to shave or maintain facial hair in a hygienic way.
- Teach
girls to stay clean during their periods, proper disposal of sanitary
pads, etc.
5. Personal Healthcare and Basic First Aid
Among the critical things that teens should learn, as part
of taking care of themselves, is to take care of their health. Important points
to remember here are:
- Knowledge
of personal health and over-the-counter medications that can come in
handy.
- Knowing
when to go to the doctor.
- Taking
proper care of self, through proper diet and environment, in the case of
illnesses like common colds, fever or the flu.
- Learn
basic first aid skills like how to clean a wound, use bandage, and other
first aid in case of medical emergencies
6. Social Skills & Manners
You don’t want your teenager to be singled out because of
his or her clumsy manners, do you? Teaching your child skills and manners that
he or she must display in a social setting is essential if you want them to
have a smooth social life.
- Explore
and pursue hobbies, recreational interests and activities to
meet like-minded people.
- Develop
and maintain friendships.
- Create
and nurture personal relationships. Valuing relationships and people in
our life is something that only a parent can teach.
7. Organization skills
Lack of organization is one of the factors that lead to poor
time management. A poorly organized person is almost always searching for
something. Sounds familiar?
Here is what you can do to make your teenager stay better
organized.
- Teach
them the simple rule of Kaizen – a place for everything and everything in
its place. Help them implement this rule and they will not have to
‘search’ for something the next time.
- You
can help them use an organization tool or system to arrange their books,
clothes, and other things.
- Explain
to them that they can avoid making blunders when they are more organized.
8. Communication Skills
Communication may seem more like a business skill. But
think about it, won’t your teenager need to communicate in his personal life?
Teaching your teen how to get his or her message across without offending
another person is important. Communication is a critical skill that a teenager
will need to master for interpersonal relationships in personal and
professional lives.
9. Behavioral Skills
The character of an individual shows in the way he or she
behaves. Help your teenager build a strong personality by helping them develop
healthy behavior. Here are a few basic things you can teach them.
- Accepting
a mistake, admitting a fault, and taking responsibility for their actions
are perhaps the first things you can teach your teen.
- Most
teenagers have a problem apologizing. Teach them to say ‘sorry’ and not
feel embarrassed about it.
- Morality
is a concept that you should introduce to your teenagers early on. That
teaches them to stand up for what they believe is right,
conscientiousness, and a sense of responsibility for the less fortunate.
10. Coping with Emotions
Teenagers tend to see everything in black and white.
Teaching them to cope will allow them to see that it is not all good or bad,
there is something in between. Coping and self-management skills that you can
teach your teenager, especially girls, include:
- Self-management
or control, this allows them to set the pace to how they react to different
situations, people, and things in life.
- Teens
will have to cope with loneliness and being away from their loved ones
when they go to college. It can be a difficult time for them if they do
not learn how to deal with the change.
- Avoid
impulsive decisions that can have severe consequences, mostly negative.
- Managing
feelings in a healthy way. Teach your teen to think and act, rather than
react. Reactions can result in negative consequences, but thoughtful
action seldom does.
- As an
adult, your teen will have to deal with stress at work, home, in personal
relationships and so on. Coping with stress is an important skill you
should help your teen acquire.
- A
critical skill that you should help your teenager with is accepting their
emotions. Tell them that no emotion is bad or good, and it is okay to feel
happy, sad, afraid, angry, aroused, silly, jealous, and even guilty. The
trick is not to dwell on a particular emotion.
- Teach
them different ways to deal with their emotions, such as physical
activity, meditation, listening to music, or just by talking about it.
- Spirituality
can also help in coping with major changes in life.
- Empathize
with them where possible and understand that they are still learning to
manage emotions and stay calm.
11. Problem-solving Skills
Finally, among the 11 essential main life skills for
Kenyan teens to learn is problem-solving. You cannot expect your children to come
back to you for help every time they have a problem. What you can do is teach
them to deal with problems like mature adults.
- Teach
your kids to face problems, rather than run away from them.
- When
your teen comes to you asking for advice, try not to jump in and resolve
the problem for them. Ask them what they think they should do and help
them work through possible options. This will help break the habit of
coming to you.
- The
first step to problem-solving is identifying the problem. The key is to
find out exactly what is bothering them and why it is a problem. Help them
narrow down their problem by asking a simple question: “Is my current
situation different from how I would want it to be?”
- Once
they pinpoint the problem, help them come up with a list of possible
solutions to it.
- Analyze
each solution to know which option gives you the desired result, or
something close to it.
- Once
they shortlist the options, your kids will have to use their
decision-making skills to pick an option they think is best for them.
- Then they can apply the chosen solution and check if they are right.