One of the motivations for creating the Kids Cook Real Food™ eCourse was that I was just over halfway to “launch” with my oldest child.
Nine years old is half of the intensive part of parenting, and Paul had just turned 10. He demonstrated how to make homemade guacamole to his 4th-grade class, and I realized that guac was the only thing he truly knew how to make!
One cannot live on guac alone…so I knew I needed to teach him more before he left my home!
I love that parenting expert and author Amy Carney also uses the word “launch” to describe the process of sending off a child into the world, ready to serve and grow and live on purpose.
She too had a crisis of parenting when her oldest kids were about 10, and she reacted even more strongly than I did – that and more in today’s interview!
What Amy made me desire: The sort of MARGIN she found in her life when she taught her kids certain things.
How I’ll rethink something today: That being frustrated about a task is an opportunity for a teaching moment.
A goal I need to keep in mind: Play is as important as “being busy.”
In the first two days after the interview, I quoted a certain portion twice, and it’s what college professors and deans all agreed that young adults need more of.
This is a heartfelt, fun, fascinating, and inspiring interview, and I hope you enjoy Amy as much as I did!
Amy is teaching on How to Spot a Scam in #LifeSkillsNow Season 5 – register now!
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No time for the video? Here are the notes!
Teaching Life Skills to Teens to Prepare Them to Launch
- 1:35: Today I’m talking with Amy Carney of Parenting on Purpose. We’re talking about teaching your kids life skills before they reach adulthood, something I’m very passionate about here at Raising Healthy Families!
- 2:47: Amy has built her mission around being intentional about parenting with purpose. She shares how that became her rallying cry for moms.
- 4:58: Her kids were around 4th-6th grade age when Amy started being more intentional with her parenting after realizing she was about halfway to launching them into the world as adults.
We don’t get a do-over as parents. That can stress you out, or inspire you! -Amy Carney
- 6:14: Not only did Amy get to a place where she was parenting her older kids with purpose, but they had the margin to adopt two older children out of the foster care system which is a huge challenge on its own. If you’d like to hear more about supporting the foster care system check out this interview. You can watch her video on adoption through foster care here.
- 7:50: Amy spoke of their family having “margin” when she had 4 kids at home. She obviously walks out what she teaches and does it well!
Registration Is Open for #LifeSkillsNow!!
#LifeSkillsNow was created to serve the needs of families who desire their kids to have practical life skills that schools aren’t teaching. We host experts in fields ranging from entrepreneurship to finances, cooking, and soft skills like managing emotions and choosing a healthy mindset.
This year’s camp is June 8-12, and you won’t want to miss it!
When you register, you get instant access to 15 workshops to do, for kids, teens, and yourself! You don’t want to miss out on the camp that over 100,000 families have done and loved.
Yes, I Need Life Skills NOW for My Family!- 8:29 Around 12-13 is when kids are really pushing for more agency and independence, capitalize on this chance to teach your kids skills they will need as adults.
- 9:03: Some of the skills Amy handed off to her kids were waking themselves up in the morning, walking to school, packing lunch, making their own breakfast, and doing laundry.
We’re all teaching life skills even if we don’t realize it. -Amy Carney
- 12:27: Amy has had her kids wake up with their own alarm as soon as they stopped waking up early naturally, usually around middle school age. Her son who is now an RA in college says they get calls from parents asking them to wake up their kids because they keep missing class. :0 Here’s the interview with Julie Lythcott-Haimes I mentioned.
- 15:24: If you don’t know how to do a certain skill, find a mentor to help. I don’t know how to change a tire, so maybe I need to look into that!
Kids don’t need plastic knives. They need real skills.
Teach safe technique, focus, and confidence in the all-time fav lesson from our kids cooking class! (ages 2-12)
- 16:03: Let’s get really practical. Look for what is making you crazy with your kids. There are probably things you wish they would do for themselves that you’re left carrying and it’s causing friction or even resentment. Start there. Amy has some ideas to get you thinking.
- 17:16: Don’t just spring this on your kids. Talk about it at a meal or family meeting and explain to them why you’re making changes. Make it positive and intentional rather than reactionary.
- 18:10: Amy has a huge focus on teaching life skills, but there’s more to parenting on purpose. In our busy culture, we need to be intentional to slow down and play as a family. We want our kids to have loving family relationships and good memories.
If we have some goals and know where we’re trying to go it makes things easier. -Amy Carney
Resources We Mention for Teaching Life Skills to Teens
Content Creator. Product Maker. Event Curator.
Amy is the author of Parent on Purpose and 100 Questions for Mom Journal. She loves speaking to audiences of moms and dads to empower and excite them to intentionally raise their children with more joy and purpose.
Amy’s latest venture is her new keepsake product line to help parents easily create meaningful keepsakes to hand down to their children.
Amy and her husband of 23 years, Keith, are parents to 20-year-old triplet sons, an 18-year-old daughter, and two sons (15 and 10) they recently adopted out of the Arizona foster care system.
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