Do you ever worry your kids don’t have the skills they should have? It’s the prerogative of every parent. We want to raise our children to be the best versions of themselves, and sometimes that means turning the wifi off and taking them all outside to hike through the woods!
However, skill building is a lifelong activity, even though it’s good to pick up as many as you can when you’re young. Even you, as an adult, are going to have ambitions about learning to fence or going fishing, or simply trying out things you’ve never done before. So what if you could combine both of these concepts into one? What if you could help the kids learn new and fun things while you hone a craft you’ve always dreamt about along the way? Then lead by example!
The more you want to try out new things, the more your kids will want to as well, especially if you show them how much you’re enjoying the process. They might even grow up to consider you as one of their best friends, which is the end result a lot of parents dream of. But for now you’re their parent, and that means teaching them as much as you possibly can. As such, here are some fun and useful skills you can learn together as a family.
Cooking and Baking
Everyone needs to be able to feed themselves! Kids can learn to cook and bake from a young age, seeing as it’s a fun activity that results in tasty treats, and adults can continue to refine their skills to create culinary masterpieces.
So, if you’re heading into the kitchen to get dinner ready, why not rope the kids in to help out? Do this two or three times a week to show them what it takes to put a meal together, including how to balance nutrition and flavor, and why you have to eat all your veggies before you’re allowed your dessert.
You can then have a baking day every weekend where you all get to flex your creative muscles. From cakes and cookies to pastries and biscuits, you can put all you’ve learnt into practice and even have a little competition!
Reading Comprehension
It’s something the kids are more likely to learn at school, but even fully grown adults can find it hard to understand certain motifs and themes in books and stories.
The more you read, the more you’re likely to pick up on these things, but it’s best to put in a concentrated effort for this. A good sense of reading comprehension leads to better media literacy, which is essential in a digital world where anything can be faked.
If we can pinpoint things in what we read, and determine what they sound like to us and what they could mean, we’re more likely to be critical of the things we see everywhere else as well. It’ll soon come naturally, and if you’re planning to let your kids use the computer and the internet in the future, these skills will keep them safe.
Mental Math
Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing, are the basics of math. Being able to do sums in your head is a good skill to have for daily life – for example, if you’re in a shop and see there’s a sale on, you’ll only need a few seconds to work out what 20% off means for the item you want to buy.
Everyone can struggle with this element of math, but the more you practice simple sums like these, the easier it’s going to be to work things out in your head. Play games that involve mental math equations and even turn it into a race, with a little prize for the winner at the end. And remember, if the sum seems a bit too complex, you’ve got a calculator in your pocket!
First Aid
Knowing how to save a life is an incredibly invaluable skill. If you’re able to provide aid, even in the smallest of ways, before the ambulance turns up with trained paramedics, you could make a real difference.
Learning first aid is possible for kids as well. Take them along to a local cpr class with you and see how they get on with the content; there might even be a kids’ class available that makes the concept more child-friendly.
Aside from this, make sure there’s a first aid kit in your home and show your kids how to properly stock it. You can then see if they know how to take care of small scrapes and bruises – things a child is likely to get – and what they’d do to make sure a wound is clean before applying a bandage.
Gardening
If you’ve got a garden that needs a bit of taming right now, why not get the kids to help and show them how to take part in the nurture of the natural world? Even cutting back plants can encourage them to grow stronger next year, especially with a good bit of watering and some mulch on the soil below!
Gardening is an ever evolving skill that you never quite fully master, so you’ll be able to dedicate your time to it as a hobby for a while to come. In both winter and summer, there are tasks to be done and wildlife to look out for, so ask the kids to create a hedgehog hide or an insect hotel and decorate them.
Using the Computer
We spoke about reading comprehension and media literacy above, but if you want to delve deeper into computer skills and how to use tech, there are various ways you can help both yourself and the kids.
Firstly, make sure both of you can use a mouse and keyboard efficiently. You should also show the kids how to save their files and where to retrieve them again, which is a skill slowly going out of fashion as we use phones and tablets more and more. Develop a new skill week by week and you’ll soon both be experts in computer usage!
Then read up on using antivirus and antimalware software, which can be easily downloaded and installed on the computer. Doing so will keep you safe as you surf the online world, where millions of helpful resources can be found. Teaching your kids to be safe and cautious can prevent them from finding the internet scary, and it can prevent you from worrying whenever you hear the PC turn on!
Taking Care of Animals
Do you have any pets at home with you? If not, it’s worth it to think about bringing a pet into your life, especially if the kids are excited to get a dog, cat, guinea pig, or rabbit. Of course, never get a pet if you’re sure the kids won’t pay attention to them, but if you’d also love to take a dog for a walk or cuddle with a cat in the evening, why not?
You can both learn how to pay attention to the needs of another animal and take care of them no matter what it is they need. The kids can learn a bit of responsibility; make this clear to them through their inclusion in the adoption process, and always clear your schedule to have some pet time altogether in the evening.
Setting Clear Boundaries
It’s not something that comes naturally to everyone. Sometimes you have to work at communicating what you need and how to set boundaries to stop people from overstepping the mark. Teaching this to your children will help with their emotional reactions and control as they get older, and as an adult, it could even help heal your own inner child.
We all have our own way of communicating, whether it’s through words or actions or a mix of both, and understanding the differences in communication styles is what bridges these gaps. It’s much easier to make deep, lifelong relationships when you’re able to be clear with each other, even in your own ways, and that takes a bit of time and practice.
If you can learn to communicate together, you’re much more likely to find parenting a little more fulfilling too.
Building Your Family’s Skills Doesn’t Have to Be Hard!
No matter what skills you think your kids should get to grips with, you can lead the way by picking up a few new things yourself. Kids like to follow in their parents’ footsteps, so the more you ‘model’ this behavior for them, the more they’re going to learn as they grow.
And remember, you know what your kids get on with, and the best ways they learn. Make sure you’re using techniques that work for them, and you’re all working together to make progress on a skill you all find interesting.
Even the potentially boring things, like mental maths and discovering themes in a story, can be made fun and enjoyable when mommy and daddy lead the way!
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