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Parents play a big role in guiding their kids and equipping them with the skills they need to take care of themselves and contribute to society.

Here are the basic life skills teens need to gain independence from their parents:

1. Work skills
2. Transportation skills
3. Goal setting skills
4. Emotional regulation skills
5. The ability to deal with emergencies
6. Basic household management – laundry and cooking
7. Financial skills – money and budgeting
8. Time management, organisation and scheduling
9. Social skills, Communication and manners
10. Hygiene and personal grooming
11. Good dress sense never goes astray
12. Completing documents and paperwork

And teach them your phone number!

Parents often put off teaching their young teens independence simply because it feels easier to manage their lives.

In some cases, parents feel fearful about the consequences their child could experience when they manage their life themselves. But we really do need to cut the apron strings sooner than later and instil these great abilities and trust them more. What can go wrong? HA!

Meanwhile check out these – 8 things you need to STOP doing for your teenager ASAP!

Share your comments below.

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  • I agree 100%. I am stunned with the number of parents that are still sorting this stuff out for their kids in their 20’s and beyond.
    Not me…..all 3 of my kids learnt that once they left high school they were responsible for themselves. Im not saying they were booted out of home or anything like that but they had to start paying a nominal board and their phone bills becames their own. If they wanted a car they needed to buy their own and pay for rego and insurance, etc. All 3 of my kids know how to stand on their own two feet.

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  • These are all important ideas to teach our kids but what about the one’s who just don’t want to know or care. It can be frustrating at times.

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  • Work in progress here too :)

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  • Haha all good and fair and reasonable. My son’s 18 and he’s not yet achieved all of the above.

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  • Some more things to add to my list of knowledge to impart !
    Now…..how do I get them to hear it ? ;)

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  • All absolutely necessary skills, and remember, it takes time to learn these things. Controversially, I think in this day we need to also remind our kids to not allow, take and/or share compromising photos of themselves – not because of any moral judgment, but because once they’re out there, it’s impossible to get rid of them. Some people simply cannot be trusted to keep such photos to themselves. It’s no different to teaching our children to cross the road or stay away from illicit drugs: safety first. Prevention is better than cure.

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  • Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

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  • Yes as a parent I have taught my son all of these, but number 6, 10,11 seem to be lacking in some way, to my horror! We are still working on some of the others.

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  • my kids do most of these things, always room to improve though

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  • Great guide but I don’t see a lot of teeneages doing this

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  • I hope they explain to their teenagers that when they start work they have to do as they are instructed to do.

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  • Great guide,think some basic cleaning skills should be added. To be able to clean your toilet for example, is a very useful skill.


    • I agree why is it that they quite happy to spend so much time in the toilet and never clean it. Even if I don’t he never complains it is dirty! I am always asking when are you going to learn to clean the toilet and get no answer

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  • Great article you haven’t raised a child until they can function as an adult and this should happen before they’re an adult.

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  • Wish my mother in law had read this before she decided to have children.

    Reply

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