3 wishes or kids

Are your kids missing out on the three top life skills? 

Do you remember how you learnt the three top life skills? 
Those three skills being financial management, cooking and social etiquette (including grooming). If you could give yourself a grade in these areas what would it be?  

Financial Management
Think about your financial story – how did you learn this crucial skill?

When I was growing up I was a Brownie (the younger arm of the Girl Guide Movement) and I took the Thrift Badge which aimed to teach financial skills. I remember having to keep a savings account to show how I could save money and also care more about the things I owned. This was probably financial management at its most simplest and today is woefully inadequate.

Growing Money
Of course, parents do try to impart financial management to their kids with pocket money but often are too mean or too indulgent.

Children usually are under the impression that parents have a lot of money and have high expectations. Kids even at the age of four or five are boasting about where their parents are taking them for a holiday and what has been bought for them. Parents do remind kids of the famous adages such as Money Does not Grow on Trees but many children find that hard to believe.

Professional Primer
If parents feel they need help in this department then there are the professionals such as Mind Champs (www.moneychampkids.com) and people who have undergone the Mind Champs training such as Fortuna Tung (lifeskillsbuddies.com.sg). Children learn by example so if you are going to send your child on one of these courses, you need to think about what example you are setting.  At the same time this might be a good juncture to rethink your financial management skills and win greater respect and understanding from your children.

Culinary Arts
Please don’t blame my mother. My mother attempted to teach me to cook and there were some classes at school too. I even passed the Cooking Badge for the Brownies but still my cooking sucks.

Being able to cook is an essential skill and without it can affect our health in the long term. While fast food is a treat once in a while, every day may not be such a good idea!  If I had my time over again I would say if only I had taken cooking more seriously and I feel handicapped only having rudimentary culinary skills. This is one skill I think is worth going on a course for, and who knows your child might make you some great food that you can enjoy!

Social Discourse
I am a great believer in the development of social skills. It is a department where there is room for improvement for most people. I know I wish I could remain calmer in difficult social situations and in the office. Being able to say nice things to others is one social skill that many kids need to improve upon.

In the English classes I teach at I Can Read social skills are an important part of the ethos of the teaching.  In my teaching – expressing English politely is an important social skill that has to be learnt.

Just changing the tone of phrases such as “Excuse me,” can be asking to be excused or referring to the other as rude!

When I was still a teenager I attended finishing school in London. I attended Lucie Clayton and spent a summer learning social skills, grooming and etiquette (how to behave in all the social situations one would encounter). We may think we know many of the social graces but actually some of the finer points do need imparting.