5 Life Skills to Teach Your Child at an Early Age

Your child is more capable than you probably give them credit for. It can be easy to surrender to the urge to shield children from harm and do everything for them, so they avoid emotional and/or physical turmoil but it’s important to explore various life skills with then from a young age, to prepare them for the big wide world. I have teamed up with a private nursery in Herefordshire to explore some of the most valuable life skills you should teach your child whilst they’re young.

Your child needs to know how to handle a situation where they have hurt themselves, so show them how to treat burns and other wounds. Avoid freaking out, as this will only teach your child that freaking out is the right way to respond to a cut or other type of pain. 

Of course, there’s no need to teach your child how to cook a roast dinner, but they should be able to put together a simple snack, like washing and peeling fruit and spooning yoghurt into a bowl. As they get a little bit older, you can show them how to prepare a sandwich and safely use the toaster. 

It’s important to teach youngsters the importance of teamwork and responsibility by giving them some simple household chores to complete. For instance, you could show them how to sort the laundry into coloured piles, or keep their bedrooms tidy. 

There are many benefits to the World Wide Web, but it can also be quite a dark place with various dangers. With that said, children need to learn how to use the Internet responsibly as soon as they have access to gadgets with a WiFi connection. Make sure they know to keep passwords a secret, as well as personal details like your address. Teach them to be kind online and never talk to strangers. 

Gardening 

Don’t be afraid to explore some simple gardening tasks with your child, like watering the plants and digging up weeds. The chances are, your child will probably enjoy spending some quality time with you in the garden. Perhaps you could consider helping them plant their very own vegetable patch so that they can learn about the responsibility of keeping plants alive. 

Of course, there are lots of other skills to teach your child, but the above should certainly get you started. You’re probably naturally exploring various life skills without even realising, just by being a good role model.