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Transitioning from adolescence to adulthood is an exciting and rewarding time. However, it often comes with a unique set of challenges. Teens may have more freedom and independence, but with that comes new responsibilities.
Parents are usually their children’s first teachers and biggest influence. If you want your child to succeed in the real world, it’s important to provide them with the tools for healthy functioning and independent success.
Teaching independent living skills can have a significant impact when a teen enters adulthood. Whether they are planning to move out someday, start a new job, or go away to college—there are essential life skills that can make this transition period smoother.
The Importance of Teaching Independence
The teen years are a unique stage of life filled with lots of transitions, such as biological changes, identity exploration, and the challenge for more independence. The teen brain is designed to learn and adapt. It is often easier for teens to learn and retain new information, making it an ideal time for them to develop independent living skills they can carry into adulthood.
Helping your teen gain independence while still being concerned for their safety can be a difficult balancing act. Parents can support healthy outcomes and long-term success for their teens by allowing them to explore their independence (while still setting boundaries on what is acceptable), take positive risks, and learn from their mistakes.
Parents who teach independence are helping their teens build a foundation to manage stress and the challenges of adulthood, without turning to unhealthy coping skills such as substance abuse, irresponsible spending, or other habits that negatively impact their health.
8 Essential Life Skills for Teens
Each family may have its own set of skills they hope to pass down to their children. This can be influenced by culture, religion, and individual values. However, there are some essential skills that we recommend parents prioritize.
Finances
An exciting part that teens look forward to about becoming an adult is often the opportunity to earn their own money. Maybe they want to travel, buy a home, build a family, or start a business someday. This requires smart spending habits and learning to manage their finances properly. Most schools in the US do not teach basic finance skills as part of their curriculum.
By providing these skills to your teen, you are helping them get ahead of the game and contributing to their future success. Some essential financial skills it’s important to teach include:
- How to save money
- Balancing a checkbook
- How to invest smartly
- The risks of credit card debt and taking out loans
- How to do their taxes
Time Management
Our time and energy are two of the most important currencies we have. Learning how to spend it wisely can contribute significantly to success. Parents should teach how to effectively balance time between school, work (if they have a job), socializing with friends, quality time with loved ones, and periods for self-care.
Some skills that can help teens manage their time effectively include:
- Using a planner or calendar
- Goal setting
- Avoiding distractions
- Planning and organizing
Household Chores
By early adolescence, your teen should know how to clean up after themselves and take care of basic household tasks. Research shows that having kids and teens participate in developmentally appropriate chores can increase their working memory and executive functioning.
It also gives teens a sense of responsibility and makes them feel like they are helping out. Some helpful household tasks to teach your teen include:
- Laundry
- Basic cooking skills
- Cleaning the bathroom
- Basic repairs (changing a lightbulb, changing a tire, etc.)
- Doing the dishes
- Taking out the trash
- Wiping down surfaces to prevent bacteria and germs
Basic First Aid
This life skill often gets overlooked, and many adults may not even be trained in basic first aid. However, first aid is important in times of emergencies. These could include controlling nose bleeds, saving someone from drowning or choking, treating wounds, and knowing when to call 911. Providing your teen with this knowledge can help keep them healthy and safe in emergencies.
Some basic first-aid skills for teens include:
- CPR
- Heimlich maneuver
- Treating burns
- How to stop excessive bleeding
- Using an Epi-Pen
- Spotting the signs of a stroke
- Keeping a basic first aid kit with bandaids, allergy medication, OTC pills, etc
Effective Communication
Successful communication leads to positive outcomes at work, with family, friends, and lays the foundation for healthier romantic relationships.
Teaching teens effective communication can boost their self-esteem, reduce anxiety, and teach them to express their emotions. Some of these skills include:
- Learning to set boundaries and say no
- Conflict resolution
- Active listening
- How to provide positive and negative feedback in a respectful way
Stress Reduction Strategies
Learning to manage stress is an ongoing process, and it’s normal for everyone to feel defeated by stress sometimes. However, equipping teens with the tools to positively reduce stress reduces the risk of them developing mental health problems or turning to unhealthy coping skills such as substance abuse.
Some stress reduction strategies that are helpful for teens include:
- Journaling
- Staying active
- Getting enough sleep
- Meditation and deep breathing exercises
- Reaching out for help to a loved one if they need to talk
Problem-Solving Skills
Teach your teen how to think with a solution-oriented mindset, and encourage them not to give up during difficult situations. The regions of the teen brain that control problem-solving are still developing, so allow them to make mistakes and learn from them.
Problem-solving skills include:
- Analyzing problems
- Looking at the risks and benefits
- Decision-making
- Collaboration
- Creativity
- Critical thinking
Preparation for Employment
Encouraging your teen to prepare for employment can be a great way for them to start saving money, networking, and building skills that can help them in their future careers. However, “getting a job” is not always as easy as a parent may think. There are several things teens should learn that can help them prepare for employment in adulthood.
These include:
- How to create a resume
- Basic interviewing skills
- What to wear to a job interview
- Following instructions from a supervisor
Helping Teens Build Life Skills in Texas
At Clearfork, we understand the complex nature of the developing teen brain. Our compassionate team helps teens with mental health challenges and substance abuse disorders build essential life skills that contribute to their health, safety, and success in the future.
We are available 24/7 to answer your questions and support your teen. Reach out to our Admissions team to learn more.
Sources
The Teen Brain: 7 Things to Know. National Institute of Mental Health.
Executive functions and household chores: Does engagement in chores predict children’s cognition? National Library of Medicine.
Originally from the Saginaw, Eagle Mountain area, Austin Davis earned a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Ministry from Lee University in Cleveland, TN and a Master of Arts in Counseling from The Church of God Theological Seminary. He then went on to become a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor in the State of Texas.
Austin’s professional history includes both local church ministry and clinical counseling. At a young age, he began serving youth at the local church in various capacities which led to clinical training and education. Austin gained a vast knowledge of mental health disorders while working in state and public mental health hospitals. This is where he was exposed to almost every type of diagnosis and carries this experience into the daily treatment.
Austin’s longtime passion is Clearfork Academy, a christ-centered residential facility focused on mental health and substance abuse. He finds joy and fulfillment working with “difficult” clients that challenge his heart and clinical skill set. It is his hope and desire that each resident that passes through Clearfork Academy will be one step closer to their created design.
Austin’s greatest pleasures in life are being a husband to his wife, and a father to his growing children. He serves at his local church by playing guitar, speaking and helping with tech arts. Austin also enjoys being physically active, reading, woodworking, and music.