We all get excited when our child takes their first step and learns to talk. Although, let’s face it, the novelty wears off when they start moving more quickly and the word ‘why’ becomes commonplace in the vocabulary. We look forward to watching our children learn to read, write, add and subtract and hone their artistic, musical or sporting skills.
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Watching a child grow and develop new abilities can bring great joy to parents. But as we get caught up in each milestone reached by our offspring are we forgetting to impart the knowledge of some basic life skills that will prove invaluable when they grow up?
Anyone with a child will no doubt, at some time, have heard the words “I’m sick of the rules at school”, “ I hate getting up early to go to school”, “I can’t wait to leave school so I can do my own thing” or “I can’t wait to make my own money so I can buy what I want.” Little do they realise these will be lifelong bugbears. Sure the environment may be different as they move on from school, but the expectations will still exist. Perhaps the biggest change they will need to engage and embrace will be a change in attitude. As they leave their school days behind and step into a new world some will study, some will get jobs, some will plan a gap year with travel and many will have to move away from home to achieve their goals.
Each year in late December and January there is a new batch of such young people. They have finished school, often enjoyed a summer holiday break and made the most of that early ‘freedom from school’. They are ready to begin adulting with all the independence they expected they would enjoy once they left school.
They will have independence, but it is unlikely to be what they expected. They now have the independence to pay their own bills such as rent, electricity and food if they move away from home. They have the independence to get themselves up early in the morning to get to the job they must have to pay for those bills. They have the independence to be answerable to the rules and regulations of society (mum and dad can’t step in anymore).
Without a doubt those who have taken on more responsibility in their childhood will have a head start as they enter the adult world. Chores, part time jobs, learning to cook a meal, meeting deadlines for school assignments, getting themselves out of bed to go to school and respecting rules – these are the skills that should be celebrated.
