Do you find yourself wondering what kind of person your child is going to grow up to become? Maybe they’ll be a scientist who cures diseases, a philanthropist who powers nonprofits, or an artist who enriches the way people see the world! If you’re curious to learn more about what you can do to help them your child on their journey, we’re here to help! Teaching life skills can equip a child to develop as a whole person — and shape their future in bright and wonderful ways. 

Teaching life skills is  about making small improvements each and every day. With every bump or bruise comes the opportunity for parents to teach children something that will shape the rest of their lives.

Discover six life skills that your child needs before adulthood. Instilling these skills in kids early will help them grow in big ways down the line.

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1. Creativity

A child's imagination is full of wonder and possibility, and should never be taken away. In fact, using the power of imagination  should always be encouraged. 

As your child matures, so will their creativity. Once they reach adulthood, their imagination will help them with creative problem solving and maintain an open mind to get ahead in their careers.

Try to promote creativity where you can by doing craft projects, encouraging playtime, and indulging in your child’s interests a bit more. Many adults these days — especially millennials — are making highly profitable careers from their creativity and ability to think differently from everyone else!

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2. Teamwork

It's never too early to start teaching your child about teamwork. This can help them grow up to become a better brother, sister, teammate, classmate, friend, and so much more.

Always look for new opportunities to get your child involved in group activities — when weather permits, take kids to playgrounds and parks with parents in your community to help grow friendships. 

Get them involved in little league sports to develop a team-first mentality. If they don't enjoy sports, try getting them involved in band class at school, take them to youth events at church, and so forth.

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3. Discipline

This life skill can be difficult for parents — and we totally understand why. No one wants to be viewed as the ‘bad guy’ to their children. However, discipline is an important part of growth. Children need to learn constructive self-discipline to help prepare them to meet challenges in the future. 

When correcting children, try to get kids to figure out what they did wrong and how they can improve.

For example, say children get a little rough when playing with their siblings. Pull them to the side and have a conversation with them. Why were they frustrated? What did they do wrong? How should they have reacted instead?

Discipline isn't something that comes easily. In fact, adults struggle with it as well. As long as you provide kids with good self-discipline habits, they'll always find their way back once they grow up.

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4. Communication

Children communicate with their parents in countless ways, they express their thoughts and feelings in words, movement, expressions, and sometimes big tears. Communication is an essential tool in all aspects of life. It can be used in your child's career, marriage, and whenever the time comes for them to raise children of their own. Creating empathetic communicators isn’t always an easy journey, but has lifelong benefits. 

Always prioritize and encourage your children to communicate with you, their siblings, their friends, and teachers. Communication is equal parts listening and responding — so teaching patience is key!

Encourage observation and introspection to teach children to understand what communication styles are needed for different situations. For example, you'll want to teach them to discern the difference between communicating with their friends and how to respectfully communicate with authority figures such as teachers, parents, etc. Ask questions to understand what styles of communication your child excels in and what styles they may need help with.

The more your child learns how to communicate, the better they’ll be able to connect with their peers and loved ones  Communication skills touch nearly every aspect of life — make sure your child feels confident in their ability to communicate their desires, wants, and needs. 

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5. Organization

You might live your life according to the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up — or you may be a clutter bug. Your child might love having a place to store their toys, or believe that every book belongs on the floor rather than a bookshelf. Organization skills can be a difficult skill to master.  There’s a fine line between too much and too little — but teaching the basics of organization doesn’t need to be a struggle. 

Building organizational skills helps kids navigate the best ways to organize their thoughts, feelings, and physical belongings.

How do you teach organization skills? It’s all in the details. For example, you can start by encouraging kids to tidy up their toys as they play. You can also help a child clean their room until they become confident in their ability to pick up messes.  

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6. Responsibility

One of your biggest tasks as an adult is to teach your child that they're responsible for their own actions and that they can't control the actions of others.

In essence, children need to learn what they can and cannot control. If they make a mistake, they can't blame others. If they have a daunting task in front of them, all they can do is try their best. 

These lessons are two-fold. If a child's biggest role models provide helpful examples of accepting responsibility, then this concept will be easy for a child to understand. Kids will simply copy what they've seen their role models, like their parents and teachers, do.

However, it's also important to apply the concept of responsibility to everyday life. What chores does a child need to complete each week? Have they done all of their homework? Are they setting a good example for others? Everything comes back to responsibility. 

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Focus on teaching your child life skills

By thoughtfully teaching life skills to your children, you’ll help them develop as an all-around awesome human being!

Discover activities designed to help your child build life skills on the Sawyer Marketplace. From storytelling to public speaking, we’re sure you’ll find an educational activity your child will love!