I am really into teaching my kids self-reliance skills. I had a pretty sheltered childhood. I was a bit spoiled, I didn't do laundry until I was almost 19 and went to college. Eeek!! Audrey and I are planning to attend a self-reliance/survival weekend in the spring and through researching other self-reliance skills (the one we are attending is centered around surviving in nature) I found a great list of just under 20 skills your kids should know before turning 18. I see no reason in re-creating it, so I have pasted it below. You can find the original post, by the author here.
Pretty good list, right? Can you think of anything to add?
- CPR and basic first aid.
- Know how to tie basic useful knots.
- Know how to swim.
- Know how to ride and fix a bike.
- Know how a combustion engine works, how to change a tire, how to change the oil in their vehicle and properly dispose of it, how to jumpstart a vehicle, how to change the air filter.
- Be able to build a fire (bonus points: build a fire without matches or a lighter).
- Be able to set up a tent, build a lean-to, collect and purify water.
- Be able to navigate with a map and compass.
- Understand how the toilet works. Be able to fix and replace the basic components in the tank. Know how to shut off the water supply (for any piece of plumbing, including for the whole house).
- Understand how the house electrical system works. Know basic electrical safety. Know where the breaker panel is, be able to flip a tripped breaker, know how to use a volt stick. Advanced: be able to replace a simple wall outlet.
- Understand basic conditional logic in computer programming. Write a “Hello World” statement in one or two programming languages.
- Understand basic sewing techniques, including the straight and whip stitch.
- Know how to solder.
- Know how to safely handle fireworks, explosives, and propellants.
- Know how to safely handle power tools. Know how to safely sharpen tools and knives.
- Be able to identify the flora and fauna in our area. For the flora: know what’s edible and how to prepare it, and if necessary, the fauna, too.
Pretty good list, right? Can you think of anything to add?