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High school graduation day is quickly approaching and as hard as it may be to let go, your teen is well on their way to becoming a young adult. As a father, it is imperative you prepare your children for what is to come next. Though a lot of what they learn now will be through their own experiences, there are a few gems about adulthood that you could clue them in on. Beyond the peer pressure, bullying, and “birds and the bees” talk with your college-bound teen, here are some other life lessons they can appreciate.
How to Cook
Though most would agree the college diet consists of nothing more than noodles and hot dogs, the truth is your teens will need to eat healthy in order to perform their best. If they haven’t been much help in the kitchen previously, now is the time to give them a few basic crash courses on cooking on a budget. Show them how to prep quick and nutritious meals using a hot plate, microwave, or crock pot that they can place in their dorm.
Other domestic skills you may need to teach your teen are how to do their own laundry, how to properly clean, and how to do basic maintenance tasks like unclogging a sink, changing a lightbulb, or fixing basic things (particularly for teens who will be living off-campus in an apartment).
How to Budget (Finances)
The cost of a college education goes well beyond tuition. Your teen will need to learn how to effectively manage whatever money they have to survive. From paying for books and school supplies to affording laundry and extracurricular activities, there are a lot of things that won’t be covered. Start by showing them how to create a realistic budget, and perhaps use interactive mobile apps to help them stay on target.
Equally as important as knowing how to budget for college expenses is knowing how to manage credit. Your teen will likely be inundated with offers for credit cards. Though having one may not be a bad idea for emergencies and to establish credit, mismanagement of a credit card will only make their financial circumstances worse. Talk with your teen about the importance of managing their credit cards appropriately.
Choices and Consequences
You will no longer be around to monitor your teenager. You won’t have any influence on who they hang out with, what they do with their spare time, or what type of activities they decide to engage in. So, before sending your impressionable teen off to college, it’s a good idea to sit down and have an adult conversation with them about choices and the consequences that follow. Some subject-matters that are pretty common in college are:
- Partying and Risky Behavior – You want your child to have a good time, but you don’t want them to start being reckless with their lives. Express the importance of finding a balance between school work and their party life. Talk with them about the use of drugs including how difficult it can be to get sprung and ruin everything. Find resources with answers to questions like “how long does it take to get addicted to meth” or what are the consequences of using molly so that they have more than just your word to go on.
- Relationships – Though your teen may have had a high school romance once or twice, it is nothing like what they’ll experience once they start college. Talk with them about finding a balance between their relationship and their studies. Discuss why it is important to be open-minded and independent as they grow into young adults and some of the consequences that can come from getting too involved with someone too soon.
- Will to Succeed – You’d be surprised how many teens go on to become overwhelmed and burn out due to the stress of trying to succeed. Make sure your kid knows that although you want their best, you are proud of them no matter what. Talk to them about where to go for help if they do feel overwhelmed with the pressure to excel in their studies.
Though sending them off to college won’t be easy, the best thing you can do for your teen is to make sure that they are prepared. If you can help them become outstanding adults by helping them to avoid some of your pitfalls growing up, you’re doing a good thing. In teaching them the above-mentioned lessons you are providing them with key tools they’ll need to get through the next four years of their life.
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This is a featured post by site supporter Anne Davis
Photo: Getty Images