This has been a crazy season of change in our house, moved my middle one into his new place to get ready for his senior year of college, moved my oldest into his first apartment to get ready for grad school and in August, I will move my baby into college~ Getting my kiddos ready for adulting has made me realize how many skills we have the we just take for granted! Summer is a great time to start to introduce some of these skills and if you are sending kids off on their own like I am, maybe it's time for adulting bootcamp 101!
💰 Money Matters
Many young adults leave home without ever learning how money really works. Giving your teen a few hands-on lessons now can save them from expensive mistakes later.
Talk about things like:
- Creating a simple monthly budget
- Using a checking account and depositing checks
- Reading a bank statement
- Paying bills on time
- Writing a check (yes, they're still around!)
- Understanding credit cards and credit scores
- Why compound interest is so powerful—for saving and for debt
- The basics of investing for the future
🍳 Teach Them to Feed Themselves
No one expects your teen to become a chef before moving out, but they should know more than how to heat up frozen pizza.
By the time they leave home, see if they can:
- Cook a few family favorites without help
- Make one inexpensive meal for when money is tight
- Prepare a meal for friends
- Put together something in 30 minutes or less
- Grocery shop with a list and compare prices
- Pick out fresh fruits and vegetables
- Bake a favorite treat from scratch
🧺 Everyday Adulting
These are the little things that don't seem important—until nobody else is around to do them.
Can they:
- Do their own laundry?
- Get common stains out of clothes?
- Sew on a button?
- Iron dress clothes?
- Deep clean a bathroom?
- Unclog a toilet?
- Change a light bulb?
- Know when it's time to call a landlord or repair person?
🚗 Be Ready for the Unexpected
Even if they won't have a car at school, these are great skills to know.
Teach them how to:
- Jump-start a car
- Change a flat tire
- Handle the steps after a minor accident
- Book airfare or a hotel
- Compare travel prices
- Read a map if their phone dies
💼 Help Them Build Confidence
Life gets a little easier when you know how to speak up for yourself.
Practice:
- Writing a resume and cover letter
- Interviewing for a job
- Asking for help
- Requesting a raise professionally
- Standing up for themselves respectfully
❤️ Taking Care of Their Health
One of the biggest changes after high school is that parents aren't always there to schedule appointments or answer questions.
Make sure your teen knows:
- How to choose a doctor
- Why yearly checkups matter
- How health insurance works
- Where to find mental health resources if they ever need them
- Basic first aid
- A few simple exercises they can do anywhere
✉️ The Little Things That Matter
These aren't life-changing skills, but they're the kind that make adulthood feel a little less overwhelming.
Think about teaching them:
- How to address and mail an envelope
- How to write a thank-you note or sympathy card
- How to tie a tie or care for professional clothing
- Why voting matters and how to register
- How to plant and care for something living
- How to learn a new skill using YouTube or another trusted resource
The Most Important Skill of All
If I could add one thing to this list, it would simply be this: teach your teen that it's okay not to know everything.
Show them how to ask questions. How to look things up. How to admit when they need help.
Confidence doesn't come from already knowing the answer—it comes from believing you can figure it out.
As parents, we can't prepare our kids for every situation they'll face. But we can give them the tools to solve problems, make good decisions, and know when to ask for help. And honestly? Those lessons will take them much further than remembering how to write a check.
This article is a mix of my words and help from ChatGPT
