It is incredibly difficult to keep up with the fast pace of the rapidly changing world. Academic knowledge can sometimes not suffice. In that case, learning life skills for teenagers becomes extremely important. This does not just help them navigate through life’s challenges but also gives them a sense of responsibility which causes a boost in their confidence.
JBM Global, a prestigious institution near Noida, encourages students to pursue their interests and develop several skills beyond the academic sphere.
This blog discusses some of the necessary skills that every student should learn and develop to sustain themselves in the outside world.
What Are Life Skills?
Beyond the safety and comfort of an educational environment, a student will gradually have to learn how to survive on their own. This includes doing domestic chores and using critical thinking skills to make well-informed decisions.
Merely absorbing academic content will not teach you necessary life skills. Instead, you will have to consciously learn and develop certain skills to help you succeed.
15 Life Skills That Teenagers Must Learn
1: Driving Safely
Knowing how to drive is one of the most important life skills for teenagers. It will be a huge help in the future because they will not have to rely on anybody else to drive them to different destinations. Moreover, it will also give them a sense of responsibility and independence. However, parents must ensure that they maintain every safety precaution while learning this life skill to avoid any mishaps in the future.
2: Grocery Shopping
Students are sometimes so caught up in their academics that they fail to participate in basic household activities, one of them being grocery shopping. Growing up they may have to live on their own and even if they don’t, it is helpful to take on a few responsibilities for your home. Grocery shopping can be easily learnt if you let your children accompany you when you visit the market. They will eventually get familiar with the process.
3: Cooking
Pangs of hunger are unbearable which is why you shouldn’t wait for anyone to cook you something. Instead, put your chef cap on and get to work! Cooking is a life skill that everyone must master. While children may have a few restrictions, they can always begin by trying out simple and easy recipes and gradually upgrading as they grow up.
4: Doing The Laundry
Doing laundry is another necessary habit among the many life skills for students. It is comparatively easy for the ones that stay in a hostel. But, for the ones staying at home, they must keep a day where they wash their own clothes. This allows them to become independent and self-competent in the future.
5: Taking Public Transportation
For people who regularly take the bus, this may not be a life skill that they must acquire. However, students must be introduced to public transportation so they can soon travel by themselves. This includes teaching them about road safety and traffic rules. They must practice crossing the road and boarding public transport with adult supervision.
6: Using First Aid
While it is always advisable to consult a doctor in case of illnesses or injuries, certain medical emergencies require immediate attention. In such a scenario, if your child panics and fails to do the needful, the consequences may not be very appealing. Rather, you can verbally acquaint them with using first aid in case they or anyone around them suffer an injury.
7: Making Informed Decisions
The importance of life skills for students is noticed when they have to make decisions for themselves. It involves having critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities to reach an informed decision. This can be ensured by aiding them in making simple decisions from childhood. They must be instructed to absorb every piece of available information, weigh all the pros and cons, and then come to a decision.
8: Time-Management
Academic commitments can often pile up and be the source of immense stress. However, they can be avoided by organizing your tasks and using time-management skills to get them done. Being organized often helps with time management. Thus, students can organize a routine where they assign every task with a specific deadline. It will not only help them relieve academic stress but also ensure a healthy work-life in the future.
9: Teamwork
It is extremely important to participate in group activities and projects because they help you acquire new skills in teamwork, collaboration, and communication. These activities also acquaint you with effective conflict resolution techniques and ensure the successful completion of an assignment. Developing such collaborative skills creates a strong team player who will be highly sought after in workspaces.
10: Handling Finances
A student will not have an ample amount of money to begin with. However, they must be taught to be responsible with their allowances. They must be encouraged to make a monthly budget for themselves so that they do not exhaust their allowances immediately. Saving money must also be a priority if they want to get a special treat for themselves.
11: Saying No
Due to their young age, students often feel like they do not have enough authority or knowledge to say no. However, they must be taught from a young age to refuse or deny anything they feel uncomfortable with. It not only teaches them right from wrong but also helps them avoid unnecessary and uncomfortable situations.
12: Dealing With Failures
Failure is a part of life and must be dealt with courageously. Teenagers must be familiar with failures but they must not view it as something negative. Instead, they must be taught to get right back up on their feet and try again!
13: Practicing Empathy
A quality of an educated and good human being is their ability to be empathetic with others. This is a life skill that must be incorporated into their personality by teaching them the virtues of kindness and gratitude. They must learn to be considerate and always think before judging others.
14: Coping With Stress
Stress is often caused when you feel overwhelmed with too many tasks and you have no outlet for release. Thus, along with academic endeavours, students must pursue their other interests and occasionally spend time on their hobbies. It will also help if they practice mind exercises like meditation or yoga. This will teach them healthy coping mechanisms when they encounter stress later in life.
15: Choosing A Career
The most dreaded question for teenagers is when adults ask them about their future plans. Instead of pressuring them to make a career choice immediately, it will be more helpful if every resource is made available to them so that they can explore and understand what they would like as a career option. Exploring will also help them look for job opportunities in the future.
Conclusion
Thus, we can conclude that teenagers need to learn how to do chores around the house and practice making decisions. These simple tasks may not seem significant now but will help them later to build a sustainable future. They will skillfully align their goals and develop great organizational skills to achieve them.
JBM Global, one of the top schools near Sector 137 Noida, acknowledges the value of learning necessary life skills beyond the academic sphere. The institution encourages the parents to contribute to the holistic development of their children.
