Today, for “L,” we’re talking about Life Skills.  “Life skills” comprise a pretty broad topic, and we’re going to address it from a broad perspective.  (Technically, nearly every post this month falls under the umbrella of life skills!)

Life skills range from the simple (tying your shoes) to the complex (changing an alternator belt), span a spectrum of subjects, and vary in their level of necessity.  (You probably need to know how to tie your own shoes, but can probably hire someone to change that alternator belt.)

We need to know what we need to know, find resources to learn it, and we need to equip our kids with life skills, too!

So what kinds of skills do you — or might you — need?

• how to learn
• dressing, grooming, tying shoes, and perhaps more “special occasion” skills like how to put on stockings without tearing them, or tie a necktie
• devotional and Bible study skills
• time management & scheduling
• emergency skills (first aid, responding to disasters, dealing with fuses or circuit breakers, etc.)
• budgeting & taxes
• meal planning & grocery shopping
• cooking/food preparation
• home management
• cleaning, organization, decluttering, laundry
• home maintenance
• auto maintenance
• handling medical care (how meds work, making appointments, dealing with insurance, etc.)
• child care
• relational skills
• “maker” skills
• survival skills
• etc.

Of course, most of these skills have their own individual resources, but many can also be found gathered together with others.  Home economics texts, scouting and similar handbooks (such as the Keepers of the Faith & Contenders for the Faith handbooks), and a few other resources cover a range of skills, either teaching you how to do them, or providing an idea of what you should be looking for.

A few books in this category are shown below as examples.  (I haven’t read most of these; they are what came up when I searched on the topic.)

Life Skills for Kids: Equipping Your Child for the Real WorldLife Skills: 100 Things Every Kid Should Know Before Leaving HomeLife Skills 101: A Practical Guide to Leaving Home and Living on Your OwnWhat Every Child Should Know Along the Way

I also really love Skill Trek. Skill Trek addresses a huge range of life skills, does it in a systematic (and fun) way, and is divided into levels to keep things age-appropriate.  (My kids love it.)  This is a fabulous way to avoid forgetting which kid knows what!  It also teaches each skill — at least in an introductory way.  (For some skills, the provided information will be enough.  For others, you’ll need additional teaching and/or practice.)

Many parents are also learning from some of the more advanced skills.  (I hope you already know how to tie your shoes and cover your cough, but many skills are largely a matter of what we have or haven’t been exposed to!)

What’s a skill you wish you’d learned before leaving home, but didn’t, and/or something you were surprised or embarrassed to realize one of your children didn’t know?  (For instance, we just realized a few weeks ago that our teenager didn’t know what the tab was for in a battery compartment.  It never occurred to us to tell her, because it never occurred to us she didn’t know!)