Life Skills for Teens

Teaching teenagers effective skills that they can use throughout the various stages of life is an essential part of a teen's developmental process. Life skills help teens develop a sense of individualism, and such skills can be taught in the home or as part of a high school's curriculum. It is important for life skills training to be presented in a manner that stimulates teenagers' interests so that they learn and retain the information being taught.

  1. Money Management

    • Teenagers already know how to count cash and change, but what they may not know is how to manage their money wisely. Institute a money management life skills course with teenagers to teach them the basics about saving their money, maintaining a checkbook, organizing their receipts, paying bills and filing for taxes on time and creating (and sticking to) a budget. These basic lessons are essential survival skills that can help teens learn how to avoid financial traps and penalties (such as large debt amounts) that could potentially make it difficult for them to recover from.

    Health and Hygiene

    • While health and hygiene may seem like an obvious topic already well-known to teens, think again. Not all teenagers know about the benefits of maintaining their teeth or skin, or sticking to healthy diets. To teach life skills relative to health and hygiene, create a wellness campaign for the school that allows teens to obtain information about the importance of things such as wellness prevention and health care insurance. You can even invite health insurance representatives to your classroom to discuss how health insurance and dental plans work.

    Culinary Arts

    • It is unfair to assume that all teenagers know how to cook. So, institute a life skills training around the culinary arts. Start by introducing students to a recipe book, and review the steps involved for following a recipe. For instance, break down the abbreviations found in recipes, such as "C" for "cups" and "lb." for "pound." Teach teens about the type of pots and pans to use for various food items. Then, have students cook some food, such as pasta or chocolate chip cookies, on their own or in teams.

    Organization

    • Organizational skills are essential for teens to learn, especially if they wish to have a successful future in their educational pursuits and professional career. Organizational skills, such as time management and prioritization, can be taught by showing students how to keep track of their daily commitments in a planner or organizer, how to create to-do lists and how to set daily goals. Organizational life skills lessons can even teach teens how to create checks and balances to make sure they are as organized as they would like to be.

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