Hip Hop Dad

What skills should parents teach their children before they “leave the nest”? Of course, qualities such as morality and honesty are of over-arching importance, but my question is directed more at the practical skills that are important in life. – Greg Banner, Bristol, RI
What a wonderful question! We tend to focus on skills children learn at school, but I think practical skills may be as important or even more important.

Greg Banner – a father of six and retired lieutenant colonel in the Army – added in his letter that his West Point graduating class (79) and their spouses had compiled, through interaction online, a list of practical skills parents should teach their children. It included such suggestions as: how to climb a tree; how to ride motorcycle (before someone else shows the kids); how to haggle with the toughest car salesman; how to handle firearms safely; how to fight fires at home; how to be a gentleman or lady; how to dress for success; how to use birth control; and much more.
It Would Be Great If By 18 Years Every Young Person Could Do The Following:

1. Domestic Skills Cook (don’t just open and pour) a traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner.
2. Wash and iron clothes without ruining them (plus removing spots).
3. Replace a button and baste a fallen hem.
4. Basic house cleaning, not mixing cleaning agents.

Physical Skills

1.  Throw and catch balls of all sizes without breaking your fingers. Swim half a mile, tread water for half an hour and float for an hour.
2. Ride a bike with confidence.

Handyman Skills

1.  Hang a picture straight without making extra holes in the wall.
2. Paint neatly, including cleaning up the mess.
3. Know which tools perform what functions and how to use them around the house.
4. Know what a fuse box looks like and how to reset it if a fuse blows in your house/apartment.

Outdoor Skills

1.  Hike with friends without getting lost, bitten, sunburned or covered with a rash.

Practical Skills

1.  Type well with both hands in the proper manner.
2. Set up your own computer system without help from anyone.
3. Drive a car, including one with manual transmission and maintain it properly.
4. Learn to parallel park.

Organizational Skills

1.  Create a budget. Note: It takes longer to earn money than to spend it.
2. Balance a checkbook manually, even if you bank online.
3. Maintain an address book and a personal appointment calendar.
4. Set up a filing system to keep all the paperwork in your life in one place.

Social Skills

1.  Start and carry on a conversation for 15 minutes with a person you don’t know.
2. Speak before a small group of friends for a few minutes.
3. Learn enough ballroom dancing so you can have fun at parties. (Trust me on this one!)

Artistic Skills

1.  Draw an illustration at least well enough to get your point across.
2. Have enough confidence to sing aloud, even when everyone else can hear you.

Human Skills

1.  Care for a dog, cat, or other animal, including when it’s sick.
2. Baby-sit for children ranging in age from 6 months to 6 years.
3. Aid elderly or handicapped people without looking superior.
4. Volunteer.

Orientation Skills

1.  Get around town on public transportation even if you usually walk or drive.
2. Read a map, including road maps.
3. Know what to do if you find yourself in a bad neighborhood.
4. Know which direction is north, south, east, and west (without a compass) whenever you’re outside.

Recreation Skills

1.  Play a team sport instead of watching.
2. Maintain a fitness regimen.
3. Learn a game (like bridge or chess) you can play with friends for life.

Survival Skills

1.  Know basic first aid and maintain a complete first aid kit.
2. Know what to do if you get sick, especially if you’re alone.
3. Know when to defend yourself, then know how to be effective.
4. Know CPR.
5. Know how to turn off the gas line of your house/apartment in case of emergency.