What Every Teen Needs to Know Before Moving Out

The teenage years involve a gradual shift from dependence to independence, so preparing your teen for adulthood is critical. To enable a successful transition, every teenager should have a solid base of knowledge and experience before moving out.

  1. Financial Management

    • Your teen needs to be able to handle her finances properly, according to the MilitaryOneSource website. Let your teenager witness your own money management activities -- creating a budget, paying bills on time and tracking spending -- to help her see money management activities in practice. Encourage your teenager to open checking and savings accounts to gain experience with handling finances before moving out. Talk about the wise use of credit with your teenager so she doesn't saddle herself with an unmanageable load of debt.

    Personal Accountability

    • Conducting himself as a responsible adult, keeping promises, being honest, following through with commitments and treating others respectfully is a part of personal accountability, according to Gary Smalley with the Christian Broadcasting Network. Set an example of responsible accountability for your teenager to witness. Encourage your teenager to seek counsel from and spend time with other adults in positions of influence, such as a minister, coach or teacher.

    Household Management

    • Ensure that your teenager can manage a household prior to moving out. Teach basic cooking skills and ensure that your teenager knows how to operate kitchen appliances safely. Show your child how to wash laundry, perform basic cleaning tasks, sew on a button and iron a shirt. If your teenager owns a car, provide basic information about car maintenance, including when to have a car serviced.

    Goals

    • Setting goals is an important skill for a teenager to learn, both in the short term and for longer-term achievements, according to the USAA Educational Foundation. Help your teenager think about short-term goals first to begin learning how to work to accomplish specific tasks. With the ability to tackle and finish smaller goals, your teenager can apply the same principles to achieve bigger goals that include education, career and family. Support your teen as she makes and works toward goals, offering encouragement, answering questions and suggesting ideas, as appropriate.

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