Life Skills Every 18 Year Old Should Have.

{Collaborative Content} Parents love their kids and will do anything to keep them safe. Sometimes, protecting a child means that they don't learn any useful life skills as they grow up. By the time they are 18, they can't take care of themselves in the real world. This can be a big problem, especially if they want to go to college or get a job; they may not do as well as they could if they had the social and life skills they need. We've made a list of some of the most important skills an 18-year-old should have to help them get through life.

Photo by cottonbro

Talk To Strangers 

Even though we tell little children not to talk to strangers, and it's probably one of the first rules they learn, it's important for an 18-year-old to be able to talk to everyone around them, even if they don't know them. That doesn't mean they should walk up to random strangers and start talking (unless it's a networking event!), but they should have the social skills to engage in conversation with a colleague, bus driver, landlord, shop assistant, employer, or anyone else they meet. 

If they can't talk to each other in a reasonable way, they might not be able to get what they want. They could even be seen as rude or standoffish, which won't help them in the long run.

Navigate 

By the time they are 18, your child should know how to use a map and find their way to where they need to go. This doesn't mean they have to be good at finding their way because not everyone is, but they must be able to read maps, road signs, and understand how to use a GPS. They might only need these skills to get around campus, but they could also come in handy when going to a job interview or just going out with friends or when they book a school trip to Paris, and they don’t want to get lost.

This is related to another useful life skill: knowing how to use public transportation. Buses, trains, and even taxis can be very helpful if you know how to use them well. If they want to learn how to drive, they should start as soon as possible as this is another useful life skill, although it's not something everyone is interested in. 

Organise 

When our kids are fairly young, we tell them what to do and when they should do it. That could include doing their homework, getting out of bed, leaving the house, eating their food, going back to bed at night, and many other things. This can make it hard for them to get things done on their own if no one else tells them what to do. But being able to juggle everything is an important life skill that they should learn sooner rather than later. This is because adults have to do this all the time.

It's better not to keep telling your 18-year-old what they should be doing and when they should be done with it. Of course, you should keep an eye on them to make sure everything is done, but let them figure out how to handle all of their different responsibilities. After all, they will have to do this when they go to work or college, so it's best if they can start doing it as soon as possible.