In today’s high-tech world, kids are growing and maturing faster than ever. But before they leave their nests, we need to equip them with the practical, social, and emotional means to succeed in life.

Unfortunately, some of the most valuable life skills aren’t taught in classrooms or lecture halls. For this reason, parents must prepare their little ones to face the world by teaching them practical life skills. In this article, we will explore seven life skills to teach your child by age 10 and explain how to incorporate them into their day-to-day routine.

1. Money Management

Your child can’t be expected to spend money wisely if they don’t know that money doesn’t grow on trees. Children benefit significantly from learning simple money management skills and healthy habits, starting from a very young age.

In fact, a study conducted by the University of Cambridge indicated that children’s lasting money habits are formed by the age of seven.

You can start by explaining to your child where money comes from, as well as concepts such as earning, saving, spending, sharing, and borrowing. An excellent way to help your child acquire money management skills is by helping them create a simple budget out of their weekly allowance.

If your child wants to buy something expensive, help them find cheaper alternatives and weigh their pros and cons. If they decide to go for the more expensive option, encourage them to save up their pocket money to afford it. This way, you can ensure they will make more responsible financial decisions in the future.

2. Laundry and Cleaning

You don’t want your child to figure out they can’t clean up or do their laundry after moving out for college. For this reason, you should try to make it a habit from a young age.

Toddlers as young as 2 or 3 years can begin to learn about sorting laundry. When they are school-aged, they can help with folding the laundry and even loading and unloading the washer with parental supervision. As your child nears ten years of age, they should be able to handle the entire laundry process.

As for cleaning and household maintenance, you can start by asking your kid to join you when cleaning the house. You can also assign them age-appropriate chores around the house, and don’t be stingy with praise when they get them done on time!

3. Self-Control

Children who learn self-control at home from an early age can respond to stressful situations and make informed decisions that yield positive outcomes. By learning to delay gratification, resist temptation, and not make impulsive decisions, kids can grow up to become responsible adults in their personal and professional lives.

You can help your child acquire self-discipline by creating structure at home by adhering to a similar routine each day. Children should also be encouraged to divide their time between their homework, chores, and play.

Besides the home education employed by parents, the contribution brought by schools in teaching students self-control can’t be ignored. That’s why some schools use curriculums for teaching life skills so that every kid develops healthy life skills.

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4. Cooking a Simple Meal

Cooking can provide much-needed bonding time with your child. Therefore, you need to encourage your toddler to join you in the kitchen. It would help if you also tried to explain what you’re doing and how to safely use different appliances.

As your child grows, you can start assigning them appropriate tasks for their age, and don’t fret too much when they eventually make a mess. By age 9 or 10, your kid may use the toaster-oven or stovetop with supervision.

Your child should also learn to follow a simple recipe to learn how to make different meals and also practice following step-by-step instructions in the correct order.

5. Using Basic Tools

No one can afford to hire a handyman every time something goes awry at home, considering the average handyman hourly rate in the U.S. is $24.30.

. Having basic knowledge about the different tools and how to fix things around the house can greatly help your child in the future.

By the age of 10, your child should be able to identify and safely use basic tools like hammers, pliers, and screwdrivers. Encourage your kids to stick around and observe when you’re fixing something at home. It would be best if you also stressed the importance of safety by reminding them to tie back their hair and wear eye protection.

6. Treating a Wound

Children get hurt easily, and we may not always be around to help them. Teaching your child basic first aid will help them tend to their wounds on their own. It may even stop them from freaking out at the sight of blood since having a concrete plan can provide a much-needed distraction from the pain.

You can start by teaching them how to stop the bleeding by applying pressure, rinse the wound with water, keep the cut clean by applying antibiotic ointment, and finally cover it with a bandage.

7. Navigation

Children are curious explorers by nature. That’s exactly why they should be armed with necessary navigation skills before you let them explore the world out there.

While GPS voice directions have certainly made navigation much more manageable, you need to teach your kid not to rely on it entirely since it may not always work in emergencies. Instead, try to focus more on teaching them how to read a map, use a compass, or even find directions without one based on the sun.

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Final Words

While school can teach your child how to read, write, and solve math equations, it won’t teach them how to change a light bulb or cook a meal. Therefore, learning essential life skills should begin at home, and the younger they are, the easier it’ll be.

Your young one is more capable than you think, so why not give them a head start in life with these seven life skills to teach your child by age 10?

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