Life Skills ~
The tools your child needs to succeed in life.
Age 2
- Undress self
- Put own pajamas away
- Wash face and hands
- Comb or brush own hair (with help)
- Brush teeth (with help)
- Pick up toys
- Tidy up bedroom
- Clear off own place at table
- Be able to play safely and alone for a set period of time (1/2 to 1 hour) in own room.
(Under supervision. Children need to know that they can be alone and still have fun.)
Age 3
- Dress self (with help)
- Make own bed (use comforter)
- Wipe up own spills
- Help set table
- Snap, zipper and button
- Put dirty clothes in hamper
- Start swim lessons
Age 4
- Help gather laundry
- Use a handheld vacuum
- Pick up outside toys
- Dust and clean TV screen
- Empty wastebaskets
- Know own phone number
- Know own address
- Help empty dishwasher
- Help bring in groceries
- Tie own shoes
- Sit quietly in church (looking at books or drawing quietly is OK)
- Next level swim lessons
Age 5
- Put clean clothes away neatly
- Swim (goal – swim independently)
- Leave bathroom clean after use
- Clean toilet
- Feed and water pets
- Get mail (if in a safe place) and put it in the proper place
- Receive a small allowance (if used)
- Money Management: saving, spending and charitable giving
- Know how to make emergency phone calls (911)
- Dust low shelves and objects (consider using a Swiffer)
- Empty kitchen trash
- Clean brushes and combs
- Organize bathroom drawers
- Learn to roller skate
- Learn to jump rope
- Learn to ride a bike
Age 6
- Organize own drawers
- Organize own closet
- Empty dishwasher and put dishes away
- Wash and dry dishes by hand
- Straighten living and family rooms
- Rake leaves
- Help put groceries away
- Make juice from a can or mix
- Make a sandwich and toast
- Basics of spending, saving, and giving
- Pour milk into cereal
- Pour milk or juice into a cup
- Wash out plastic trash cans
- Clean mirrors
- Bathe alone
- Clean windows
Age 7
- Use a vacuum cleaner
- Clean pet cages and food bowls
- Use a broom and dustpan
- Sweep porches, decks, driveways and walkways
- Take a written phone message
- Learn basic food groups and good nutrition habits
- Cook canned soup
- Read and prepare a simple recipe
- Be familiar with cooking, measuring tools and their uses
- Make Jell-O and Boil eggs (hard and soft)
- Money management (earning money and saving for a goal)
- Pack own sack lunch
- Cut up own meat, pancakes, etc.
- Water outside plants, flowers and garden
- Arrange refrigerator or bulletin board “pictures”
- Weed flower beds and vegetable garden
- Strip bed sheets
- Carry dirty clothes hamper to laundry room
- Sort clothes for washing by color and fabric and check pockets
- Straighten book and toy shelves
- Begin music lessons
Age 8
- Fold clothes neatly without wrinkles
- Iron flat items
- Remake own bed with clean sheets
- Clean interior of car
- Vacuum furniture (ie., chairs and couches), especially under cushions
- Water house plants and lawn outside
- Clean bathroom sink, toilet, and tub
- Load and turn on dishwasher
- Trim own nails and clean own ears
- Learn model making
- Set table correctly
- Mop floor
- Peel carrots and potatoes
- Begin teaching time management skills, assignment deadlines, or short blocks of time
- Money Management: Spend, Save, Give principle
Age 9
- Load and operate washing machine and dryer (clean lint trap and washer filter)
- Time management (get activities done in a block of time)
- Fold blankets neatly
- Straighten and organize kitchen drawers
- Help clean out refrigerator
- Prepare hot beverages
- Prepare boxed macaroni and cheese
- Cook hot dogs and scrambled eggs
- Brown hamburger meat
- Dust all household furniture
- Count and give monetary change
- Compare quality and prices (unit pricing)
- Oil bicycle
Age 10
- Replace light bulbs and understand wattage
- Distinguish between good and spoiled food
- Bake a cake from a mix
- Cook frozen and canned vegetables
- Make pancakes from scratch
- Understand the importance of ingredient and nutrient labeling
- Plan a balanced meal
- Know how to select and prepare fruits and vegetables
- Bake cookies from scratch
- Repair bicycle tire and learn basic adjustments
- Know basic emergency first-aid procedures
- Understand uses of medicine and seriousness of overuse
- Wipe down kitchen cupboards
- Be able to do family laundry completely
- Mow lawn
- Know how to handle a pocket knife
- Sew simple crafts on a sewing machine (pillows, bean bags, etc.)
Age 11
- Replace fuse; know where circuit breakers are
- Change vacuum belt and bag
- Clean and straighten garage
- Bake muffins and biscuits
- Make a green salad and dressing
- Do simple mending and sew on buttons
- Wash the car
- Learn basic electrical repairs
- Know a variety of knots
- Understand basics of camera use
- Be a helper in a church ministry
(ie., nursery, Sunday School)
Ages 12 to 15
- Make deposits and withdrawals at the bank
- Perform basic first aid and CPR
- Time Management (should be able to manage an entire day of activities/assignments)
- Check and fill all car fluids
- Type with proficiency
- Money Management: Budgeting basics, Charitable Giving, Spending Plan, Saving for a car, Saving Money, Emergency Fund
Ages 16 to 18
- Plan well-balanced meals, including shopping and cooking
- Pass a driver’s test
- Write checks and balance a checkbook
- Fill out a job application
- Make one complete meal (nothing gourmet, just make sure they can feed themselves)
- Money Management: Budget / Cash Flow, Debit cards vs. Credit Cards, Fraud Protection, Teaching Investing
- Prepare a resume
Resources
*Life Skills: Life Skills for Kids: Equipping Your Child for the Real World by C. Field
*Money Management: www.giveme20.com
*Character Education: www.goodcharacter.com
Excerpts from What Every Child Should Know Along the Way by Gail Martin