The Ultimate List of Life Skills to Teach Children

Life skills are extremely important, but many of us grow up not knowing how to do a lot of things that are essential to every-day life. Even now, I find myself still learning and wishing that I’d been taught these things when I was younger.

I knew I didn’t want that to be the case for my daughter—I knew that I wanted her to be prepared for what life actually involves and to learn skills that would benefit her. That’s why I’m so grateful to be able to home educate her. She has the freedom and choice to learn anything and everything, including valuable life skills.

So, if you’re wanting to teach your child the life skills you wished you’d known at a younger age, here’s the ultimate list for you!

Important Life Skills to Start Teaching Your Child

Home

• Basic cleaning

• Doing laundry

• Cooking and baking

• Preparing a meal

• Following a recipe

• Using kitchen appliances

• Using household appliances

• Homesteading

• Going shopping and following a list

• Budgeting for a food shop

• Decluttering

• Setting routines

• House maintenance

Financial

• Managing money

• Opening a bank account

• Budgeting

• Saving and managing savings

• Debt

• Credit

• Investments

• Insurance

• Taxes

• Getting a mortgage

• Making a big purchase

Personal

• Mental health

• Productivity

• Dealing with stress

• Dealing with change

• Dealing with failure

• Empathy

• Interpersonal skills

• Being responsible

• Being resilient
• Responding to criticism

• Setting goals

• Independence

• Anger management

• Mindfulness

• Finding happiness

• Etiquette

• Self-discovery

• How to focus

• Decision-making

Health

• Self-care

• Importance of exercise

• Nutrition

• Good hygiene

• Registering at a doctor or dentist

Work

• Finding and applying for a job

• Writing a CV/Resume

• Writing a cover letter

• Interviews

• Time management

• Writing an email

• Responding to an email

• Problem solving

• Networking

• Writing a resignation letter

General

• Learning another language

• Sign language

• Giving to charity

• Sewing/ making clothes

• Woodworking

• Learning how to drive

• Insuring, taxing & MOTs

• Car maintenance

• Looking after animals

• Horticulture

• Growing fruits and vegetables

• Using tools

• Managing schedules

• Public speaking

• Writing in various forms

• How to research

• Setting up a tent

• Lighting a BBQ

• Washing the car

• Riding a bike

• Typing

• Making appointments

• Talking on the phone

• Food safety

• Reusing and recycling

• Critical thinking

• Having a debate

• Being a good citizen

• Note taking

• Journaling

• Shipping and postage

• How to drive a boat

• How to moor a boat

• Copyright laws

• Taking measurements

• Negotiation

• Record keeping

• Laws

• Cultures and beliefs

• Fraud and scammers

• Voting

• How to travel 

• Managing car breakdowns

• Formal vs. informal language

• How to swim

• Being pulled over

• Writing a will

• Getting life insurance

• Rules when visiting other countries

• Filling out forms

• Reading a map

• Following GPS

• Agriculture

• Using a compass

• Trade

• Digital footprint

• How to get a travel visa

• Car buying

• Appreciating the arts

Survival & safety

• First aid and CPR

• How to make a fire

• How to escape a fire

• Getting out of dangerous situations

• Natural disasters

• Natural medicines

• How to keep yourself safe

• How to get help

• Survival skills

Relationships

• Dating

• Judging character

• Making friends

• How to treat people

Technological

• Computer basics

• Making a website

• Coding

• Passwords

• Backing up files

• Using technology

Download the life skills checklist!