By Valaysia Smith
Teen Reporter
As teens, we need to develop life skills to prepare us for adulthood.
It won’t be long before we become adults; some sooner than others.
There are many life skills we will need to live independently. In just a few years, there won’t be a parent to wash dishes, iron clothes, remind us, show us a way to manage our money.
Our parents have been trying to help us get ready with the simple things that we take for granted as youth. They are showing us how to clean and press our clothes. They also teach us about cleanliness which includes clean dishes, clothes, rooms, and emptied trash. Cleanliness is essential on our bodies and in our houses. It’s important to keep our homes from smelling or dishes growing mold on them. The only way to avoid washing dirty dishes is to use paper plates, paper bowls, plastic silverware, plastic cups, etc. Even then, you still have to take out the trash.
In addition to cleanliness, we need to learn to manage our money. One of my recommended ways of saving money is taking everything and putting it into savings. It’s a good idea to keep a few dollars in our purses or in our pockets. It’s a bummer being broke.
Chores may seem like slavery all over again, but it’s all part of home management. Unless we plan to have maids, we’ll still have to sweep and mop floors and generally clean our living spaces.
We also learn safety skills, including protecting our personal things in crowds and places like beaches, parties, schools, work. There are people everywhere in this world, and among them are small groups that are the good, the bad, and the in-between.
Our parents are teaching us much of what we need to know, but we can also learn from others just ahead of us through personal conversations, YouTube videos, and Tik Tok.
There’s a big life ahead of us that includes many things we’ll learn on the fly, such as paying bills, taxes, insurances, permits, and a world of other responsibilities that don’t sound like fun.
We are learning life skills now, even as we complain that our parents are being petty. We should learn all we can so our parents won’t laugh at us during our first week in the real world.
It’s coming. Get ready for it now by learning as much as we can to prepare us for life once our prep years end.
One day we’ll be on our own; that’s the cycle of life.
Let’s learn all we can now and be prepared.
