10 Tips On How To Prepare Your Kids For Adulthood

It takes time for teenagers to slowly learn and practice important adult life skills, like managing finances, driving a car, finding a job, doing their own laundry, arranging medical appointments, and more. This means you need to start early to prepare your kids for adulthood.

Even small kids can be taught responsibility from a young age. For instance, giving them chores and then paying them pocket money at the end of the month is just one example of how you can teach them the value of money which is something that will benefit them one day when they are all grown up.

The phrase “preparing for adulthood” is the process of transitioning from childhood into life as an adult. There are several agencies involved in supporting this transition, including social care, health and educational services. All of them help to teach and prepare children for the challenges they will face as an adult.

Why Is It Essential For Kids To Prepare For Adulthood?

Creating and promoting developmental supports and opportunities for youngsters help them to develop certain competencies, social connectedness, confidence, and values. Plus it helps to avoid them developing negative behaviors. An essential part of growing up and developing is skills building.

Young kids and teenagers who enter adulthood prepared feel more comfortable in their own skins, with their bodies and taking care of themselves and their bodies. They enter the grownup world with a sense of identity, they understand the consequences of risky behavior, and they are emotionally healthy. 

10 Tips on How To Prepare Your Kids For Adulthood

Giving Them Your Most Essential Commodity – Your Time

Buying your kids more toys, clothes, or electronics is not necessarily what they need. The best way to make them feel valued is by giving them your attention and time. If you allocate a specific time with each kid to talk to them and listen to what they have to say, it will show them how much they mean to you. Try to prioritize your time in such a way to spend quality time with them.

Reading to Kids

MRI Studies suggest that a child’s brain that is responsible for creativity seems to become more active when you read to them, as opposed to simply watching a movie. There are several benefits linked to reading books with your child, including;

• Teaching them communication
• Introducing concepts like letters, shapes, colours, numbers, etc.
• Promoting memory, listening, and vocabulary skills, and more

Taking the TV Out Of Their Bedrooms

Screen time must be limited at least an hour before bedtime. Even teenagers need at least 8-9 hours of sleep every night. Taking the TV out of the room means that you might get some pushback. But you are the parent and know what is best for them. Putting your foot down will show them that you mean business and they will eventually learn to respect it.

Restricting Phone Time

Many teenagers today are glued to their cell phones for hours on end, texting, browsing social media and more. The internet is an escape from reality for most, but it could also be harmful for kids growing up. Real life is not always  portrayed accurately online. Social media is acceptable, but their activity must be monitored.

Sticking To Commitments

Once you allocate special time to be with your kids, you have to stick to your commitments. Do something fun with them and talk to them about their day. Communication is key. They should have the confidence to come to you if something is wrong. Avoid pulling out your phone. Show them that this time that you’ve set aside is allocated to them and that you value this quality time with them.

Don’t Work When You Are On Vacation

Vacation time with the family is just that – vacation. This means forgetting about work and stress and focusing on home and family life. Avoid giving your kids the impression that work is more important than them. You must set an example and be a good role model to them as far as a work/life balance is concerned. Savour the moments you have with them and be present in the moment. It’s no use being on vacation, but your head is stuck somewhere else the entire time.

Giving Them Responsibility

Assign tasks for the kids and teach them responsibility. Encourage your teenager to get a job to start building his or her resume. Teenagers enjoy being comfortable, but at some point, they need to be pushed outside their comfort zone and start experiencing what adulthood is like.

Allowing Them To Take a Break When Necessary

We are often in awe when we notice how our kids manage to juggle homework, extracurricular activities, sports, academics, and more. However stress can easily build when they have to face round-the-clock responsibilities. Just like us, they also need to take a break when necessary to keep them from burning out.

Allowing Them To Deal With Failure or Loss

It is never a good idea to shield your child from loss and failure all the time. When a child believes he will always win is a recipe for disaster. Life doesn’t work like that. We all win or lose sometimes. It is important to teach them that losing is a part of life and that it is ok. Next time they can try again and maybe score a win.

They must learn how to deal with bad news on their own. Mom and Dad are not always around. Losing is inevitable because there can only be one winner. Things will not always work out according to plan or in their favour. Kids need to become familiar with loss or failure in order for them to build resilience and bounce back from disappointment.

Balance Is What Matters

We all have certain expectations and dreams for our children and there is nothing wrong with that. However, we should not let these expectations or dreams define our kids or their worth. We should remember that our expectations should match their talents and interests too. And what we expect from them is not always what makes them happy.

You might want your little girl to become an actress or ballerina, but she might want to become a football player or artist. It is vital for us as their parents to help them find the right balance between friendships, academics, family time, and extracurriculars, and to become the person they are meant to be. They should feel comfortable with who they are and we should accept them and make them feel like they belong.