Saturday, May 23, 2009

54 things I want my kids to learn before they leave home

I got this idea a long time ago on a message board I frequent. Someone posted a list of 100 things they wanted their kids to learn before they left home. I don't think at the time I even had kids yet, but the idea stuck with me and Zach and I have been slowly working on a list ever since. We're up to 54, listed in no particular order.

1. Research answers to questions using various resources (library, internet, other people)
2. Balance a checkbook
3. Avoid credit card debt
4. Cook a meal
5. Play Euchre
6. Fish
7. Sew a button
8. Sew a garment
9. Basic gardening
10. Laundry
11. Wash dishes
12. Basic toilet repair (I called a plumber when I first moved out for a stuck chain. I'm saving them that $50 mistake)
13. Clean up after themselves
14. Ride a bike
15. Drive a car
16. Take public transportation
17. Build a fire
18. Use a compass
19. Make coffee
20. Manage a grocery budget
21. Save for big purchases
22. Change the breaks on a car
23. Change the oil on a car
24. Change a tire on a car
25. Replace a headlight
26. Replace a fuse in the car
27. Hold their own in a debate
28. Snake a drain
29. Replace an electrical outlet or switch
30. Replace a light
31. Play spades
32. Play solitaire
33. Play Nuts
34. Play hand and foot (a survival skill in this family)
35. Think critically
36. Pray
37. Use an iron
38. Make a bed
39. Play chess
40. Paddle a canoe
41. Take responsibility for their own actions
42. Treat people with respect
43. Solve conflicts
44. Basic pet care
45. Tune up a bike
46. Change a bike tire
47. Fix a bike chain
48. Weld
49. Basic computer repair
50. Use a camera
51. Write effectively
52. Speak effectively
53. Fix a leaky faucet
54. Resist peer pressure

I figure if I turned them out the door knowing all that they'd be pretty well prepared for life. Any ideas for stuff we've missed? What skills were you glad you had when you ventured out into the world? What did you wish you had known?

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