Parenting would be easier if children came into the world with blueprints on how to raise them. There’s no shortage of frustration when it comes to “doing it right” today. TV shows and social media echo different standards on raising successful children, with many of them insisting that academics alone can’t guarantee a good future.
While school performance plays a big part in creating career opportunities, what they learn at home prepares them to make the most of it. You can teach your children life lessons that will have a more lasting impact than material wealth.
Manage Money
Most of your adult life revolves around getting and spending money. Without proper knowledge and discipline, successful careers can quickly turn awry. Do you know that 46% of surveyed millennials don’t save enough money, with 39% expecting to work after reaching retirement age?
Spending habits don’t form once a person gets a job. They start at seven years old. Teaching children about delayed gratification and wise spending creates a good foundation for their finances. You can introduce these things to them while shopping in Geelong or while on vacation outside of Melbourne. As they grow older, your conversations about money should touch subjects like debts and investments.
This determines how they’ll handle basic tasks like budgeting and significant milestones like buying land for sale. If today’s trend continues, your children can also look into investing in property instead of the stock market. It’s never too early to familiarize them with things like mortgage and credit scores. The knowledge you impart might be what saves them from poor housing decisions later in life.
Manage Time
Time management is a skill that many people learn only in their 20’s. It’s something that, if not mastered, can have adverse effects on a person’s health, career, and finances.
If you don’t have a good relationship with time, aim to improve. Your words of wisdom have little effect on your children if they always see you rushing about. Simple things like picking school outfits the night before, sticking to bedtime, and limiting television and computer usage give them a structure to follow once they’re older.
Children also benefit from making to-do lists as soon as they begin schooling. They can include tasks like brushing their teeth, doing their homework, and more. More than getting things done, it gives them a better awareness of the limited hours in a day.
Manage Meals
Cooking skills are first learned at home. Cookin is an essential skill that adults today struggle with. The wide variety of restaurants and the fear of missing out make cooking a last resort for most people. That’s not to mention the number of adults who have no idea how to make a grilled sandwich.
Cooking with your children teaches them a life skill that benefits their health and wealth. People who cook their meals are healthier than those who opt to dine out. While some children are naturally inclined to prepare food, others need encouragement. Making cooking a fun experience helps in achieving this.
You can involve other family members or your children’s friends. Cooking is better as a social activity, after all, and it teaches them the value of sharing their meals with others.
You can’t control your children’s future, but you can be a positive influence by teaching them valuable life skills. Private schools and good grades can only take them so far. How they manage their time, finances, and health will make or break them.
