We all know what it’s like to be kids who made some pretty awkward transitions into adulthood. We did some pretty dumb stuff and suffered the consequences, which could have been avoided if we used our heads more and had more adults guiding us along the way.
Don’t you sometimes wish that somebody took the time to teach you certain things to keep you from making the wrong decisions in life? Have you ever imagined what your life would have been like if there was an older and more experienced person to show you the ropes? How different would your life have been if a mentor was constantly present in your younger years?
Things to Teach Young People to Prepare Them for Life
We all probably have our own share of shoulda-woulda-couldas and what-might-have-beens, but there’s nothing else we can do about it except to ensure that the next generation is in a much better position to succeed in life compared to our time. The responsibility to raise the next generation doesn’t just fall on the parents’ shoulders but each one of us, whether we have kids of our own or not.
Even if you don’t have kids, you can still impart valuable life lessons and skills that will serve them well in their adulthood. Here are some of them:
It’s okay to live a simple lifestyle.
Kids nowadays are so conscious of trivial and superficial things. They obsess over clothes, smartphones, shoes, cars, travel, and other things that have no significant lasting impact. Teaching them that it’s okay to live a simple life helps them be wiser in handling their finances. Most experts agree that the ability to enjoy the simple things in life unlocks happiness.
Prioritize paying off debts.
Debts are one of the inevitabilities in life. At one point or another, each person will have debt. Settling one’s debts is one of the basics of proper financial management and is one of the keys to financial freedom. They need to understand the implications of debt as early as now so that they know how to avoid it when they grow older.
Protect your income and start working on your retirement fund as soon as you can.
Financial management is one of the top life skills that will serve kids well as they grow up. Making the right financial decisions matter a lot in the long run. From building emergency funds to paying off debts to choosing service providers such as the right movers when moving houses, all of these things will affect one’s financial standing.
Financial freedom means not worrying about money even at the most inopportune time, including retirement, emergencies, and untimely deaths.
Learn to say no respectfully.
Saying no’ is a constant struggle among people. Perhaps it’s because they don’t want to offend anyone or let them down. In other cases, people think that if they say no to others, it makes them unlikable and stuck-up. However, one should learn how to set healthy boundaries for oneself, including saying no to people.
Live a healthy lifestyle.
The saying “health is wealth” is not just made to make kids eat their green leafy veggies. When life throws a curveball at you and takes away all of your possessions, the only thing you’ll be left with is your health. We should take good care of our bodies because we only have one of them. There are no spare parts, no replacements.
This is why living healthily is highly encouraged at a young age. Eat healthier and get more exercise. Make sure to get plenty of sleep and take time to nourish the soul.
Pick your battles wisely.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Some things and circumstances are not worth stressing over. Spilled coffee on your favorite shirt? Stuck in rush hour traffic? The neighbor’s dog is always asleep in your driveway? It’s okay. It’s not the end of the world. There are far worse things happening all over the world compared to your situation. Don’t let the little things get the best of you.
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Kids are known for their infectious laughter and love of life. They can appreciate the simple things in life, such as gift wrapping paper, flowers, mud, and other mundane things. However, as people grow older, that ability to laugh and that awe for life is lost as they settle into the challenges of adulthood and the real world. People laugh less and are hardly impressed with the simple things.
This is why a lot of grown-ups are miserable. They took life and everything else too seriously that they lost the joy they once had as children. We must teach kids today that it’s okay to live and laugh a little. There’s more to life than building a career and achieving dreams.
They say it takes a whole village to raise a child. Each of us should have a sense of obligation to invest time and energy into young people’s lives as they are literally the future of this world. In them lies the hope of humanity, and as those who went before us took the time to teach and mentor us, we should do the same for our children today.
