65+ life skills we're teaching our kids

And how we're going about it.

I didn’t learn how to do laundry until I left for college.

Sure, I knew how to fold clothing, and I was responsible for getting anything dirty to the laundry room and sorting it into the correct bins. But turning the knobs on the actual machine? Where to put the detergent? These things remained a mystery until age 18.

My Mom, bless her, washed by the rainbow — reds together, pinks and purples together, blues and greens together, etc. — and three daughters sorting and managing their own loads just didn’t work with her system. So we kept out of her way… with the result that I only learned to do laundry as I packed my things for freshman year.

Today’s newsletter is about teaching kids life skills, and you might think this intro is meant to be a cautionary tale — don’t be like me, teach your kids to do laundry when they’re seven! — but you’d be wrong. I actually think it was perfectly fine that I didn’t learn to do laundry until I was 18! It worked for our family, and I had no trouble figuring it out when I needed to.

Of course, I did learn many life skills long before college (I considered myself a savant at scrubbing toilets, for example). My practical education also continued long after I graduated. I like to think this resulted in a balanced perspective: I value teaching my kids life skills, but I also don’t feel frantic about it.

Today, I’d love to offer that relaxed posture to you, my reader-friend. I’m going to share a few reasons why John and I prioritize teaching our kids life skills, three practical ways we actually do it, and then a list of some of the skills we hope to pass on throughout their childhoods. Let’s get to it!