#9: The Parenting Guide: The 10 Most Important Life Skills to Help Your Teen and Young Adult Confidently Thrive in the World

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In this episode, I reveal the top 10 most important Life Skills that your child should learn in order to thrive in the world. These transformational skills will empower your child to make responsible decisions, build healthy relationships, and navigate life’s challenges with confidence and resilience. Whether you’re parenting a pre-teen, teenager, or young adult, these practical skills will prepare them for independence and self-sufficiency. Tune in to learn what actionable strategies you can take to help your child develop these critical life skills and set them up for long-term success, and happiness. 

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Transcript

I’m Shari Jonas and this is LAUNCH

On today’s episode, I’ll be sharing my top 10 most important life skills that I believe every young person, from pre-adolescence to adulthood should learn in order to thrive in the world. 

The age range that I’m referring to here is from 10 to almost 30 years old. This is the ideal time to teach such critical life skills because it is during those years, that so much emotional and psychological growth takes place.

Before age 10, children are generally too young to fully grasp the complexity of these skills, but there’s no reason why parents can’t start teaching modified, simpler versions. 

And after 30 years of age, while it’s still possible to learn these, it is more challenging because adults can become more set in their ways, making it harder to form new habits.

But teaching life skills during the impressionable years of 10 to 30 is much easier.  Studies have shown that the human brain actually keeps developing even past the age of 25, especially in areas like decision-making, self-control, and managing emotions.

If you want to prepare your child so they are capable of making responsible decisions, of navigating life’s obstacles, of building healthy relationships, and living independently, these 10 life skills will give them their best chance.

I can’t stress this enough; by mastering these fundamental skills, your child will develop the confidence, the drive and the resilience needed to build a self-sufficient life.

In this episode, I’ll go over each life skill, and then I’ll provide you with suggestions that you can or your child do to move things along. And, if you want a copy of these, there’s a link in show notes and I’ll send it to you for free. But before I get into them, you should know that /-these are NOT basic skills that would just benefit children.  These are transformational skills and are meant for anyone who wants to improve the quality of their life.  So, as I review them, don’t just think about whether or not your child is practicing them, but ask yourself, ARE YOU?

First is: To Prioritize Mental & Emotional Health - Young people must understand that their mental health and emotional well-being are their number one priority. Otherwise, they will not be able to handle stress, develop coping strategies and build up their inner strength. This is non-negotiable. Nothing matters more then keeping their mental and emotional health in check AND asking for help when they feel unstable.  

How do they do it? By becoming mindful. Which really means becoming aware of our own thoughts and emotions, with judgment. There are many ways to do; breathing techniques, guided meditations, spending time in nature and engaging in what I like to call a digital detox, which means replacing screen time with calming activities like reading and journaling. When we learn how to quiet our mind, we become self-aware, and that’s something many young people are not taught to do. But is nothing more important for our mental health. 

The second is to Focus on Physical Wellbeing – It is vital that young adults get into the practice of living a clean and healthy lifestyle, because creating good habits when they are young will set them up for life. Clearly, this goes hand in hand with focusing on one’s mental health. Because, if your physical well being is not a priority, eventually your emotional well being will be affected. And that goes both ways.

How do they do it? Eat healthy, get good night’s sleep, exercise regularly, create good hygiene habits, and get regular, physical check-ups.

Third is Develop Good Communication Skills: Effective communication isn't something we're all naturally born with; it's a skill that many people need to learn and develop over time. These are the tools that we use to connect with the world around us. Learning how to communicate will help build friendships, romantic relationships and will encourage them to engage in social activities that they might normally refrain from.  

How do they do it? They can develop these skills by practicing verbal and non-verbal communication techniques, like making eye contact, showing a genuine interest in other people, asking open-ended questions, practice active listening, and having more face-to-face conversations. 

They have to start sharing their opinions and expressing their thoughts, starting with people whom they are more comfortable with which will help them to develop the confidence that WHAT they say matters. Because let’s be honest, they are not comfortable speaking, because they think people don’t care. But the good ones do.

Fourth. Build Strong Social Connections – Building strong connections —whether through friendships, relationships, or finding a community of like-minded people—is the key to happiness. And that is not just my opinion, although I couldn’t be more grateful for the longest-lasting most beautiful friendship that I’ve had for almost 50 years. And you know who you are. I thank my lucky starts for this friendship, almost every day. 

Young adults need to understand this; You do not need an army of acquaintances to be happy. But you do need a few really good friends. Even just one or two. Extensive research has shown that high quality relationships are the number one factor for happiness. They help us feel connected, supported, understood, and loved and that is what we all need to thrive. 

How do they do it? By joining clubs, groups, or volunteering. They can take classes, sign up for programs and attend community events that will help them to cultivate friendships and enrich their social life. And here’s one of my favorite suggestions, and my husband will attest to this; reconnect with people from your past. 

Fifth. Learn Money Management and Become Financially Literate- It’s astounding how many young adults have no clue about money management. Which explains why 60% of Americans have credit card debt in excess of $1 trillion dollars. 61% of people live paycheck to paycheck. 

So yes, learning money management and becoming financially literate are crucial life skills for young adults. Saving money, budgeting, and investing allows them to plan for their future and achieve financial independence. By mastering these skills, they’ll be better prepared to handle unexpected expenses, build wealth, and create a stable foundation for a successful and secure life.

How do they do it? First things first, open up a bank account for your child. If they are not working yet, consider giving them an allowance.  I know of a parent who was constantly giving his son $20. In fact, it became almost daily. My suggestion was that he give him a monthly allowance to teach them the value of money, and to see what it feels like when it runs out at the end of the month. 

I don’t even want to tell you how well that turned out. That young man has grown up to be an extremely savvy businessman. By the way, giving an allowance, even a small one, almost always gets the money management ball rolling.

 If they have a job, then they’ll need to download an app that allows them to track their spending so they can see where their money is going. Actually, they should do this even if you decide to give them a monthly allowance.  They’ll need to learn about budgeting and saving their money, by setting aside a portion of their income or allowance, each month. Which is why a bank account is important. I used to love watching my little bank balance grow with each deposit. I think I still have my first bank book…

Anyway, when they’re a bit older, they’ll need to learn about investment options. And finally, you’ll have to talk to them about building their credit, without going into debt. I’ll be doing an episode all about teaching young adults how to help them become financially literate since it’s such a big part of adulting. 

Sixth. Practice Time Management Skills - This is another essential life skill to learn because once mastered, young adults can balance work, personal, and social life, while staying on top of their responsibilities. 

Practicing time management is key to adulting because not only does it help prioritize tasks and improve productivity, but it reduces stress, and anxiety, which many young adults struggle with. 

How do they do it? Start by having them make daily schedules; they need to create to do lists where they can prioritize their tasks into small, manageable steps. It’s really up to you to teach them to write out their daily routines and to set deadlines, which will help them to stop procrastinating. And finally, if you can model it, by planning, scheduling and balancing your family, work, and personal life, this would be incredibly beneficial. 

Seven is Mastering Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: This life skill helps young adults look at challenging situations, and come up with their own solutions, making them less reliant on you. This also builds their confidence. Once your adult child develops the skills for dealing with everyday issues, they’ll naturally become more independent and more adaptable. They won’t see every problem like it’s the end of the world, but rather just a natural part of living an adult life. 

How do they do it? Young adults can build problem-solving and critical thinking skills by tackling real-life challenges and discovering solutions to resolving their own conflicts. Your job is to encourage your young adult to address their problems and discuss possible solutions with you, guiding them with questions instead of providing immediate answers. These strategies will empower them to think critically and to tackle challenges on their own. Which means, you will need to start letting go of micromanaging everything, so they can learn how to think on their feet, and handle problems with confidence.

Next is number 8. Cultivate Resiliency –What does this mean? Becoming resilient helps young adults to handle setbacks, adapt to change, and persist through adversity. Resiliency helps them bounce back from failure, cope with stress, and keep a positive outlook, even when faced with difficult situations. 

Without resilience, challenges can feel overwhelming, making it harder for them to recover and move forward. Ultimately, developing this skill builds mental strength, emotional stability, and confidence, all of which are essential for long-term happiness.

How do they do it? Well, I’ll be honest, becoming resilient is not easy, because it’s something that young adults need to develop through real life experiences. Which means they need to start stepping outside of their comfort zones and face difficult or uncomfortable situations. 

Young adults who experience some sort of adversity can learn that no problem is as overwhelming as it seems and that each challenge offers valuable lessons. This skill is about reframing negative or anxious thoughts, learning to view setbacks as not only temporary but, an opportunity to grow. 

Over time, this mental skill will strengthen their ability to cope when things don’t go as planned. They must learn to ask themselves what went wrong, what did I learn, and how would I handle it differently the next time? 

My last point on this is how important is to develop the habit of being grateful. By looking at the bright side, the lesson, will help give them a better perspective after it is all over.

This life skill is truly amazing, because your young adult can learn that life’s challenges do not define them. But how they handle them will.  

We’re getting close to the end, so I hope I haven’t lost you. I’ve saved the best one for last.

Number 9. Learn Household skills – this is boring but so essential. 

Learning household skills, such as cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, even basic home repairs, leads to self-reliance, responsibility, and resourcefulness, all of which are critical for independent living in adulthood. 

These skills can also help young adults learn about time management and hopefully develop some organizational skills, but I’m not entirely sure that will apply to everyone. However, one of the most important lessons regarding competency in household chores is that it teaches young adults how to maintain a healthy living environment, which directly impacts their emotional well-being. That’s why it feels so good when our home is tidy and there’s groceries in our fridge. 

How do they it? You teach them. And if you can’t, then tell them to watch YouTube videos.  That is all I have to say about household skills. Every human being should know how to manage their own home. 

And the last life skill… is one of my favorites. It is;

Make Goal Setting & Future Planning a Habit – this is all about creating a vision for achieving short and long-term dreams. Yes, I am one of those people who believe that when you set your mind on something, you can accomplish it. Call it whatever you want. Manifesting, positive thinking or just plain goal setting. Whether you believe it or not, I want you to encourage your children to dream about their future. Think about it, make plans, and let them imagine what it would feel like if all their wishes became their reality.  

How do they it? This is definitely going to be an episode all by itself. But depending on their age, you should start asking them what they want to be or do when they grow up. Or when they’re finished school. There are so many ways to get children thinking or rather dreaming of their future. Whether it’s vision boards, journaling, even drawing pictures. There is something very magical that happens when humans of all ages think about themselves in the future. And I will leave it at that.  

Before I wrap this up, I want to share a story with you that will help you understand why I feel so strongly about this life skill. When I was younger, my father was a big dreamer. I often thought of him as Willy Loman, from Death of a Salesman. Because sadly he never quite became what he had hoped for. But that’s because he never truly believed in himself. 

Yet my father managed to instill this in me. He would send me inspirational audio tapes from Zig Zigler, and if you know that name than we are of the same generation. 

He also sent me books to read, like Psycho Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz and Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill, so that I would develop the mentality that Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. 

I learnt at a very young age how powerful my mind and my thoughts are. And so, I began to write out my dreams, my plans, my goals, imagining everything that I could ever want to be, do or have in my life. 

And I will tell you this, that is the single most impactful life lesson that any one has ever taught me, and I have my late father to thank for it.  

And yes, I have passed this life skill onto my children. Just recently I texted them in our group chat saying that I was going to write out what I wanted to accomplish, and envision for myself, in the last 90 days of 2024, as a precursor to my 2025 goals. 

I didn’t need to tell them to do it, because I knew that they probably would, on their own. My children have been writing in their journals, and we all have some version of vision boards in our homes. 

So yes, I practice what I preach here, because I believe that every single one of these 10 life skills, when taught to children, especially between the ages of 10 and 30, is everything they need to navigate their life, meet whatever challenges they face, and become whomever they dream to be! 

I'm Shari Jonas, and this is Launch.