Skills Every Teen Should Know Before College

Let’s be honest — when our kids are little, endless resources are showing us what development milestones our child should reach at a certain age and when they are “ready” for kindergarten, but when they become tweens and teens, no one is telling you what they should know by when anymore. We pour everything we have into raising good kids and loving and supporting them, and then one day we look up and realize they’re almost grown and still asking us to make their doctor’s appointments for them.

While you’re busy making sure they are turning in their assignments and keeping their bathroom clean, pause to ask yourself, “Are they actually ready for life?” Here are a few life skills your teen should have before they head off on their own.

1. Basic Financial Literacy

This one is huge, and I firmly believe schools should be teaching it. Before your teen leaves home, make sure they understand how a checking and savings account works, what a budget actually looks like in real life, and why credit cards are not free money. Talk about taxes so they’re not shocked by how much disappears from their paycheck before it even hits their account. Discuss student loans, interest rates, and what it means to live within one’s means. It shouldn’t be a lecture; sometimes the best conversations happen over a bank app and a cup of coffee. My husband and I talk openly about our finances and investing, so that now our boys have a decent understanding of how that world works.

2. How to Cook Basic Meals

I learned how to feed myself pretty early since my mom worked long hours when I was a teen. They don’t need to be a chef, but when they’re on their own, it’s nice not having to survive solely on ramen and take-out. Teach them five or six go-to meals they can make without looking up a recipe — scrambled eggs, pasta, chicken, and quesadillas are a good start. While you’re at it, help them understand basic food safety and how to eat within a budget. The ability to feed yourself is one of the most underrated forms of independence there is.

3. How to Make an Appointment

This sounds basic, but so many teens have never had to call and schedule their own doctor, dentist, or eye appointment. They’ve never had to navigate an insurance card, a phone tree, or a receptionist who puts them on hold for 11 minutes. Before they graduate, have them make a few of their own appointments. You can guide them on what to bring, how to fill out the forms, and how to follow up if something’s unclear. Also, go over who to call when and how often some appointments need to be made.

4. How to Jump a Car and Change a Tire

Anyone who drives a car should know how to do these two things. They will likely encounter a dead battery or flat tire, so it makes sense that your teen knows what to do in this situation. Show them how to safely use jumper cables or a portable jump starter (one of which they should always have in their car). Then, walk them through where their spare and tire changing kit is in their particular car, and go through the motions- loosening the lug nuts, lifting the car, and swapping out a spare. Practice it in the driveway on a boring Sunday afternoon so it’s not a full-blown crisis when it happens on the side of the highway.

5. How to Speak Up for Themselves

This is one of the most valuable skills a young person can have, but one that seems to be the hardest for this generation. They don’t want to come across as “Karens”, so they hold back speaking up when something isn’t right. Can your teen go to a professor and advocate for themselves if they’re struggling? Can they tell a waitress when something isn’t correct with their meal? Self-advocacy doesn’t come naturally for a lot of kids, especially those who’ve always had someone speaking for them (no judgment, that’s just parenting). Start small: let them handle the return at Target. Let them call and dispute a charge. Let them ask the doctor their own questions at the appointment you’re not going to for much longer.

6. Conversational Skills

Unfortunately, this generation tends to communicate primarily through screens, which hinders their ability to have face-to-face conversations without becoming riddled with anxiety. They need to know how to effectively communicate when they have to sit across from a hiring manager, a professor, a landlord, or a future in-law and hold an actual conversation. Teach them the basics- to make eye contact, ask follow-up questions, listen without simply waiting for their turn to talk, and how to introduce themselves with a strong handshake. Practice role-playing so they get comfortable interacting. These skills will open doors that no amount of social media followers ever will.

7. Basic Home Maintenance

They don’t need to know how to rip out walls or build a deck, but they should know a few fixes around the house. You won’t always be there, so unless you want constant texts every time something small stops working for them, I suggest showing them how to troubleshoot around the house. Show them how to plunge a toilet, reset a tripped breaker, fix a clog, where a water shutoff usually is, and what to do if there’s a kitchen fire. A little practical knowledge goes a long way toward not being totally helpless when something breaks- and something always breaks.

You don’t have to tackle all of these at once. Start where you are, with whatever time and energy you have. Even one quick demonstration, one skill practiced, or one moment of stepping back and letting them figure something out gives a leg up to a kid who’s eventually going to have to do this life stuff on their own.

Have a kiddo getting ready to leave for college this fall? Be sure to check out this Atlanta Mom post, too!