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Kristen Castillo

Classic Life Skills that Foster Independence A generation or two ago, kids learned essential life skills at home — how to cook, manage money, sew, change car oil, etc. Some even had opportunities to learn these skills in home economics or vocational and automotive classes at school. Sadly, many of these skills are now a lost art that kids never learn or have to be figured out with assistance from a YouTube tutorial. One might question if these classic skills are still essential for kids to become independent adults. Consider this: Some colleges are now offering “adulting” classes to fill a gap for their students. More importantly, teaching children to be self-sufficient boosts confidence and self-esteem — and prevents them from relying on others to do these tasks later in life. Here are five classic life skills kids should know and tips to help your child master them. Cleaning “Kids are never too young to learn that each family member has responsibilities at home,” says Kelly Rupiper, who lives in Carmel Mountain Ranch with her husband and two children. Rupiper makes sure her kids help out around the house with age-appropriate jobs. Her 9-year-old son vacuums, unloads the dishwasher and helps with laundry, while her 6-yearold daughter dusts, makes her bed and feeds the dog. Teach kids to take pride in their surroundings. Little

16 • SanDiegofamily.com • October 2019