Teenagers are quick to want to leave the house faster than they are ready to become an adult, as a parent it is very essential to ensure they are prepared for that journey .

Before your teen leaves home, ensure they’re ready to live independently by directly or indirectly teaching them skills you know they are bound to need in the future. Teenagers most often than not are not aware of what lies ahead, but being armed with both practical and various social skills gives us the confidence that they can handle certain situations on their own.

Some Practical Life Skills For Teenagers:

Manage time:
Time Management is a skill that is so essential to every human being. This is needed at every stage of life whether it’s in Secondary school, University or in the workplace. There are various ways to teach time management to teenagers. It’s essential for them to realize time is precious and should not be wasted. Managing their time wisely can be of great advantage.

The art of reading:
This is essential for their education and future career and when we say study we don’t mean academic books alone. Teenagers need to cultivate the art of reading whether it’s the encyclopedia, or a self help book, a fictional novel or even the newspaper. It allows their mind be open to different possibilities and they get to know what’s going on around them,” the reality of life”. If teens can’t read a page of a book, how would they be able to cope in university with loads and loads of course notes to read? Training their brain early enough makes it easier in the future.

Budgeting and Financial responsibility:
Helping Teenagers learn to curb their expenses is a life skill that cannot be over emphasized. At some point in life, they are bound to live on their own, especially if they further their education abroad away from home. Teaching them how to manage money and prioritize their expenses helps to build a solid foundation in the future. An example of helping them develop financial responsibility can be by helping them manage their weekly or monthly allowance and ensuring they give you a detailed breakdown of how the money was spent. This teaches them financial responsibility and accountability.

Security consciousness:
It’s not news that the world can be unsafe sometimes, especially online with the various apps we have access to. It is therefore imperative that we teach teens on the level of information that is being shared, such as knowing what apps not to include card details, location details and other personal information, how to discern fake news and how to know online stalkers. This helps them not fall prey to scammers and other fraudsters. Helping them be aware of certain dangers can prepare them for the future. Some examples of teaching security consciousness is ensuring they lock the doors when they enter their personal vehicles, being aware of their surroundings at all times, learning to know all emergency exits in various buildings, taking note of vehicle details when entering a vehicle for the first time, ensuring all house doors are locked before going to sleep. This helps to build their awareness and maturity without alarming them.

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