This Post: Easy Life Skills to Teach Your Teen This Summer (That Future Them Will Thank You For)
Written By: Marybeth Bock
Let’s be honest… Don’t we all sometimes look at our teenagers and think with frustration, “Come on...Why can’t they do this themselves?”
Isn’t it time they emailed their teacher a question about a make-up test? Or called the orthodontist’s office to change their appointment day? And why can’t they put windshield-wiper fluid in the car when it’s out? Or soak their own team jersey when it’s full of grass stains?
As much as we want to pass along these responsibilities to our kids, we rationalize not handing over the reins with thoughts like, “Well, they are super busy,” or “I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with their complaining,” or maybe, “It’ll take me longer to show them how or explain it.” So… we end up caving in and doing it ourselves. Can I get a collective “UGH!?”
But what we have to remember, parents, is that we’re not doing our kids any favors by not encouraging them to learn basic life skills.
The worst-case scenario? We end up with a kid who leaves for college or a job and doesn’t understand why their white shirt is now streaked with pink or who doesn’t have a clue how to make a few healthy meals or doesn’t even know how to work a vacuum cleaner – let alone have money at the end of the month to buy groceries.
Easy Life Skills to Teach Your Teen This Summer (That Future Them Will Thank You For)
With school out and summer finally upon us, NOW is the perfect time to help your teen nail down a few easy life skills. They most likely have more free time on their hands, not to mention everyone in the house is a little less stressed, not having to deal with the constant challenges of an over-scheduled school year.
So, take advantage of the next several weeks to work on skills that are a win-win for your family. It’ll take a few things off your busy plate, instill confidence in your teen, and set them up for future success.
And because we all know teens aren’t always keen on taking advice from their parents, feel free to avoid the eyerolls and the sighs and take advantage of the helpful YouTube videos we shared below!
Here are 10 easy life skills to teach your teen this summer. And if they complain about it now, we promise, they’ll thank you for it in the future.
1. Laundry Basics
Believe me, you don’t want your teen to head out into the world not knowing how to do their own laundry. How to get stains out of clothes, how to sort clothes (although a lot of teens throw caution to the wind and toss everything in the washing machine together), how to avoid shrinking everything they own, and even how to fold clothes – it all builds confidence and will make it easier when they’re ready to face the “real world.”
Watch: How to Do Laundry for Teens
2. Scheduling Appointments
Yes, it’s something so simple, yet it also gives a lot of teens serious anxiety just thinking about having to make appointments themselves. While some appointments can be scheduled online, our teens really need to develop the conversational skills to talk to a human on the phone and book their own appointments.
It might feel a little awkward at first, but practice really does make perfect! Just role-play a bit before they make the call, sit beside them, and make sure they have all the relevant information available for answering questions about things like insurance and medical/dental history.
Watch: How to Make an Appointment
3. Budgeting 101
Whether your teen has a summer job or they get an allowance, they should learn the basics of creating a simple monthly savings and spending budget. Teaching them this gives them a chance to practice managing their money before the stakes get higher. It also helps them learn that every dollar has a “job” and that making intentional choices with their money today can make life a lot less stressful when they’re paying for groceries, rent, or college expenses down the road.
Watch: Budgeting for Teens
4. Grocery Shopping
Most teens like to learn about grocery shopping because it leads to food – and they love to have a say in what they eat at home.
Learning about choosing healthy food (no… chips and sodas aren’t part of the main food groups), coupons, weekly specials, and generic store brands now will also help them save money in the future. Other helpful skills – knowing how to pick out good/ripe produce and which cuts of meat or fish are the best bang for their buck.
Watch: Grocery Shopping: A Guide for Teens
5. Cooking Basics
Every teen, at the bare minimum, should know how to make a couple of easy, homemade (not frozen) snacks and meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Knowing they can whip up a few easy meals (and not starve) will give them a lot of confidence.
Plus, knowing how to turn basic ingredients into a meal can save them a lot of money, help them make healthier choices, and keep them from living solely on instant noodles and drive-thru food.
Watch: Master Cooking in Under 20 Minutes
6. Emailing Teachers
This is another skill that seems so straightforward, yet most teens avoid it at all costs. Or if they attempt it on their own, they may not have the verbal finesse to communicate in an appropriate manner. (No… sad face emojis don’t belong in a professional email.) The sooner they master this skill, the better… it’ll prove to be very beneficial when they have to email professors in college or future bosses and colleagues.
Watch: How to Write a Professional Email
7. Basic Car Maintenance
Checking tire pressure, monitoring fluid levels, knowing what the dashboard warning lights mean, and how to change a tire – they’re all easy to learn and will make them feel far more confident and capable behind the wheel. Plus, if or when something does happen to their car when they’re driving (like a tire blowout), they’ll be better equipped to handle it without panicking.
Watch: Basic Car Care
8. Time Management
It sounds complicated, but it’s all about teaching your teen how to balance school, activities, work, friends, and downtime without feeling constantly overwhelmed. And let’s face it, with most teens’ busy schedules, this is a skill that can really help them and their mental health!
The earlier they learn how to plan and prioritize what’s important, the more confident and in control they’ll feel when life inevitably gets much busier and they’re on their own. (The harsh truth is, smart kids have flunked out of college simply because they couldn’t manage their time without a parent directing them.)
Watch: Master Time Management Tips for Teens
9. Cleaning & Organizing
Does your teen’s bedroom look like a hurricane just swept through it? Or maybe it’s so blasted messy that it’s on the verge of becoming a biohazard. Teaching your teen how to clean and organize their bedroom (and other rooms in the house) will help them develop responsibility and create a space that feels less stressful and more functional. Messy Space = Messy Mind.
It may not seem like a big deal now, but learning how to manage their own environment is a skill they’ll use for the rest of their lives, whether they’re living in a dorm, an apartment, or their own home.
Watch: How to Always Have a Clean & Organized Room
10. Conversation Skills
In our tech-driven world, teaching your teen good verbal conversation skills is more important than ever. (Haven’t we all interacted with a teen who can’t make eye contact or answer questions with more than a couple of words?) Helping your teen hone in on their communication skills will help them build friendships, navigate social situations, and feel more confident when meeting new people.
Whether they’re talking to a teacher, a future boss, a coworker, or trying to hang out with a new friend, being able to carry on a conversation with good eye contact (and less social timidness and awkwardness) is one of those life skills that opens doors in ways they may not even realize yet, and it definitely makes them stand out nowadays – in a good way.
Watch: Improving Your Social Skills is Easier Than You Think
Pro tip: One of the best ways for your teen to learn and practice many of these life skills is to have a summer job. In pretty much any position they might have, they’re going to gain valuable practice in communication and time management, at the bare minimum.
Even if your teen is too young to get a job this summer, help them find other opportunities to make money and be accountable to someone, like pet sitting, babysitting, or just doing odd jobs for friends or neighbors. Volunteering is also just as helpful for learning and practicing many of these life skills.
Remember to be patient and encouraging while your teen is working on gaining new life skills. There will definitely be mistakes and complaints along the way, but the goal should always be progress, not perfection. And you might be wildly surprised at how good your teens may become at certain skills.
Marybeth Bock, MPH, is a Mom to two young adults and one delightful hound dog. She has logged time as a military spouse, childbirth educator, college instructor, and freelance writer. She lives in Arizona and thoroughly enjoys research and writing, as long as iced coffee is involved. Her work can be found on numerous websites and in two books. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
If you enjoyed reading “Easy Life Skills to Teach Your Teen This Summer (Future Them Will Thank You!), here are a few other posts you might like!
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