As adults, we might be expected to spend “approximately” 40 hours of our 168 in a week at our jobs.
IF we sleep the requisite 8 hours (who does??), that leaves us with 72 waking hours left in the week, nearly twice as many as we spend using those college degrees and high school diplomas, the “school learning.”
Might it make sense that we train and build skills for nearly half of our time each week with as much interest and intention as we train for our careers?
Ask any adult, especially successful ones, and I’ll bet you dollars to doughnuts they’d agree that they use what they learned outside of school more than inside of school right now. (What does “dollars to doughnuts” mean, anyway? Sugar and gluten are even infiltrating our idioms!)
Are You Teaching Life Skills?
Here at Kids Cook Real Food™, we have been asking our members for years WHY they bothered to spend time and money on a course teaching kids to cook.
The top answer chosen, especially since 2020, is: “I want my kids to learn life skills.”
We intentional parents know our kids need to be prepared for the real world and also have responsibility (and hardship) now to build that “muscle” of resilience. But…sometimes we’re not exactly sure where to start.
I asked some of the expert camp leaders from the #LifeSkillsNow online event, all successful, heart-centered entrepreneurs, how they’ve seen life skills improve their own family life, and I’m just tickled to share their stories as bite-sized motivation for YOU today, so you can get behind the importance of teaching life skills and implement!
Haven’t heard of #LifeSkillsNow yet?
(This post contains previews of our first season of #LifeSkillsNow, sign up for season 2 here!)
Real Kids and Families Impacted by Life Skills
There are practical reasons for teaching kids life skills, like getting more done as a family, but don’t forget the mental health and self-esteem benefits the kids experience and the deeper family connection!
Each of these moms teaches a workshop in the #LifeSkillsNow summer camp, and they’re sharing how teaching life skills early to their kids has improved family life.
I have seen my children have the self-confidence along with the compassion they need to build lives of healthy happy relationships at home and at work because they strive to live with honor, which is at the heart of what we teach. -Monica Irvine, Founder of The Etiquette Factory
We went from 30-minute bedroom pick-ups to less than 5 minutes and now they clean up themselves. Teaching them these skills has empowered them and saved me time and energy so I can focus on what I want/need to do! –Katy Wells
The kid’s faces glow, because they feel empowered and ready to take on challenges, knowing they have the tools to succeed. Moreover, they become an integral part of the family team. –Kerstin Kirchsteiger, PhD
As my kids grow and technology changes, I feel confident in knowing we can have hard conversations—reducing our screen time, staying connected as a family, and prioritizing real life over a screen. -Andrea Davis, founder of Better Screen Time
I think baking beyond treats is important for kids to know. My kids feel confident and proud to contribute to family meals. -Kate Schat of Venison for Dinner
I’m able to take my kids to the store with me, send them off to find something on the list, and know that they’ll find the best deal possible on my behalf; it’s a huge time-saver! -Tiffany Terczak of Don’t Waste the Crumbs
By intentionally teaching life skills and chores when my chronic illness was at its worst, my neurodiverse kids have grown to be a self-confident team of helpers. -Maria Weir, Stand Up, Reach Out
It’s been phenomenal to see my own child go from years of nightmares to tapping away his nightmares and falling asleep so easily. -Elissa Arnheim founder of the Healthy Gut, Happy Child Institute
Introducing the skills of naming, feeling, and healing emotions in my home with my four kids has been a lifesaver and a game-changer when it comes to helping us manage big emotions. -Suzanne Tucker of Generation Mindful
Don’t Wait! Start Teaching Your Kids These Life Skills
Our #LifeSkillsNow summer camp is completely free June 13-17, and you can get 3 of the expert workshops immediately upon registration!
Some of our expert camp leaders also wanted to share a bit about what they’re teaching. The breadth and depth of topics in camp is breathtaking!
Home Management Track
From cooking to gardening to organization, all children will someday be in charge of their own home and have to keep themselves alive. Don’t cut their meat forever, parents—teach them how to live independently starting now!
What if kids learned that many ingredients in pizza can actually be grown in their backyard? Growing their own food gives them skills of self-sufficiency that will serve them for the rest of their lives. -Jill McSheehy, host of the Beginner’s Garden Podcast
Sourdough is one of THE oldest skills. Once you understand how to create and maintain a sourdough starter, your world of baked goods is forever changed! -Liz Haselmayer, Creator of Homegrown Education
Packing a healthy lunchbox is important so kids are fueled and nourished well throughout the day to support energy, mood, and learning. –Jessica Donovan, Founder of Natural Super Kids
Independent Basics Track
From interpersonal communication to emotional regulation and appropriate screen use, there are some skills human beings need at work, home, and school—but in the hustle-bustle of day-to-day life, it’s easy to forget to slow down and explain what we’re doing and give kids chances to practice.
The Independent Basics track leaders cover a huge range of topics and reach 5-year-olds to teenagers. It’s never too late!
Families desperately need a strategy for how they will handle technology because there is so much at stake. Cyberbullying, pornography, inappropriate texts, anxiety, depression, and screen addictions are just a few of the issues that might affect our children, and we need a plan in place: a family technology plan! -Andrea Davis of Better Screen Time
When kids have the skills to confidently communicate what they need or what’s important to them, they’ll argue less because they’ll feel heard and know their voice has value. -Maria Weir, Stand Up, Reach Out
One of the most important steps in a child’s journey to independence is learning to use their voices in public. Teenagers who haven’t practiced speaking for themselves in public spaces often develop social anxiety, as they don’t trust themselves to navigate unfamiliar situations alone. -Melissa Griffin of HR Mom
Finances Track
Money – we can’t live without it, but many of us would rather live without thinking about it. We often find that parents today feel ill-equipped to teach their kids about money, so it’s lovely to be able to lean on other experts who not only can manage, save, and spend money wisely themselves, but have spent a lot of time and intention thinking about how to teach those skills to others. The Finances Track, I predict, will be a popular one!
Most teens fill out a budget worksheet at some point but they stop at that. Teens need actual experience attempting to plan out how they will use their money, and then looking back so they can see where they did well, what didn’t go so hot, and how they can change things for the next week’s budget. Creating a budget is a process, not a one-and-done activity. -Amanda Grossman, Certified Financial Education Instructor
The ability to manage money is a skill that must be learned; the sooner we learn it, the better we’ll be at it! -Tiffany Terczak, Don’t Waste the Crumbs
Entrepreneurship Track
While all of our camp leaders are successful entrepreneurs themselves, some of them also teach adults how to run their businesses better. And some already have a heart to teach kids how to think like an entrepreneur. In this track, your kids might actually be able to start making money (or at least have a plan to do so) by the end of the week!
I believe entrepreneurship and business operations are some of the most important skills kids can learn. It gives them a different career path that they may not have been exposed to in traditional school settings and everyone experiences businesses – even as a consumer, it is very valuable to know how a business runs. -Julie Ann Wood, Chief Cultivator of Eseedling
Career and Future Track
My 17-year-old son has already thought about passing a few of these workshops on to his friends who are in the thick of making decisions like what kind of summer job they’ll apply for, whether they want to embark on college, a gap year, or a trade out of high school, and if college, which one? Our camp leaders help tweens and teens think through all of that and more!
A teen’s first job should be an exciting experience. Unfortunately, many teens don’t take the time to take a thoughtful approach to determine whether a job is truly a good fit for them or their families. Planning ahead will ensure your teen finds a job where they will learn and grow, but also one they’ll truly enjoy. -Melissa Griffin, HR Mom
Parent Professional Development Track
Parents need learning time too! Each day parents can enjoy hearing from one expert camp leader on a wide range of topics, AND we offer 2 half-tracks for parents of preschoolers and parents of neurodivergent kids.
Just like adults, kids thrive in clutter-free environments and it’s empowering for them to learn life-long skills such as decluttering, organization, and picking up after themselves. These skills will serve them for their entire lives. –Katy Wells
When kids do something new on their own, they see we believe in them. This is the wind beneath their wings. -Lenore Skenazy, President of Let Grow
There’s no better time than NOW to begin (or continue) teaching your kids life skills, and with 65 workshops to choose from, there’s something for every age and every passion in the #LifeSkillsNow Summer Camp!
Free to register, fits the whole family, and we even have $2500+ in prizes if that’s something that motivates you. If you’re just intrinsically motivated and don’t need prizes, they’re easy to skip. 😉 I can’t wait to “see” you at camp!
Leave a Comment