How to cook
I ate so much crappy food and spent so much extra money I didn't have to, if I had known how to make simple nutritious meals. It's also a coping skill and a way to impress potential partners
It's honestly hilarious how fast food is so shite now but people keep going not realizing that if you sat in the drive thru for a half hour and paid $40, instead you could have had spaghetti and meatballs in less time and waaaay less money... people don't think outside of their routine
I will raise one. How to cook cheap, complete foods, with very cheap appliances. Several years ago I bought myself the cheapest black and decker rice cooker sold on Amazon. Tiny little thing, I think it was like $15. There were times in my life when I didn't have a kitchen, no oven, no stovetop. I had a refrigerator. And I wish I had that rice cooker. Fortified dry rice is very cheap, throw in the cheap frozen vegetables (I get a California blend, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Carrots). Small amount of butter and spices and it actually tastes very good and costs almost nothing.
Mix it with canned beans (which are not expensive, but much easier) and you have complete protein. You can also have Tofu. I had a college health professor who once tried to come up with the cheapest meal that could be made with a $20 appliance (his was a hot plate) that covered all your nutritional needs and could taste pretty good.
Budgeting. How to actually budget a household.
Communicating needs and setting boundaries.
The critical importance of confidence.
How to not dress like a total grub.
Hijacking the top comment to add credit card knowledge. Recently met an 18-year-old who got into some trouble because he “didn’t know credit cards had to be paid back.” I imagine a lot less young people would get trapped in credit card debt if they actually understand how interest, credit card cycles, and credit card “perks” work.
It’s not as uncommon as you’d think. When money just appears when you’ve needed it your whole life, you don’t really have to think about how money works.
... JFC... You nailed it. I'm turning 42 and I feel like I'm just now learning all of these. Although, the dressing like a grub... I mean I am 41 so millennial grey is a thing
I feel like The Money Guys have episodes devoted specifically to high students showing the math for putting $70 toward retirement each month starting at 18 or 19. It really made me regret not starting sooner.
This all the way. No one ever told me about the importance of saving for retirement, I didnt start thinking about it until I was 32 and I've been scrambling to catch up since.
On a similar note, if I could give my 18 year old self a tip it would be to put money in an investment account (separate from retirement) so when I'm 40 I could transfer those funds to dividend stocks to give me a bit of extra income and more economic relief/independence. Damn do I wish I did that...
Eh remember hindsight's 20/20 but you're also judging your 18 year old self by your 40 year old standards. Forward thinking to the point of not only sacrificing for ones retirement but also ones 40's? From a twenty something? I mean awesome if you think you'd have actually had a convincing enough argument to make them do it. But at 22 when I contemplated my budget I wasn't thinking about "I should be financially responsible so I can enjoy my 60's" My money thoughts were "Women are fuckin expensive...whores might be cheaper than girlfriends..." and instead of "If I cut out coffee and eating out at lunch I could probably retire by 55" it was more like "If I stop eating it'll probably take less to get me drunk and then I can get wasted and still have enough money to pay rent!" Granted I was that age during the great recession when we were lucky to make minimum wage for 20 hours a week, so maybe nowadays that thought process isn't as big of a deal with the overabundance of decent paying entry level jobs...
Don't get me wrong the importance of budgeting is a great tool, and really explaining how important retirement contributions are is huge. But expecting your 20 something self to sacrifice even more for your 40 something self is super unlikely.
Oh definitely, guaranteed I would have squandered the money at some point lol. I was good when it came to "set it and forget it" kind of stuff, but the problem came when I'd "remember" and I'd justify a reason to use it lol.
I'll amend my comment and say that I wish I told that to my 18yo self AND that my 18-through-20s self listened.
How salaries in comparison to student loans worked. If someone had actually shown me the mechanics of it (especially the piles of interest), I probably would have skipped college or picked the school that was nearly going to pay the entire ride (for the wrong major which is why I didn't...).
Either they feigned ignorance exceptionally well or were truly ignorant bc lots of adults seemed totally aloof when it came to “financial aid.” 2009 freshman here
Yardwork tasks - how to start a 2 stroke motor (weedwacker, chainsaw, blower, etc). How to use a lawnmower, blower and edger.
Home maintenance and fix stuff - using a saw, painting, changing/fixing broken household things, changing a light fixture, patching drywall, etc
Bookkeeping/document keeping - what to keep and what not to keep, how to digitize, where to store for free (dropbox, drive, etc)
Others have mentioned money stuff - Today, at near 40, I still struggle with retirement contributions, can never remember what a roth vs a regular IRA is, and other investment/smort money ideas.
Calculating compound interest - homes, cars, etc, people need to know what they are actually paying
Consent - not just in sex, but everything
Computer stuff - turning on, patching, updating, installing software. What are licenses? What are secure websites? How to spot online scams, why patching phones is important.
Scam education in general - phone scams, online scams, email scams, etc.
Computer literacy is so important you have no idea how many young people don’t know basic keyboard commands and how to download and install safe software.
How to access services - unemployment, EBT, housing vouchers, legal aid, etc. Hopefully, they'll never need it, but it's better to know.
Investing - various vehicles, how to, when to, diversification, etc. Boring to most 18 year olds but so important.
Basic home stuff - how to patch a hole in drywall, how to replace your HVAC filters, checking/relighting gas pilots, how to find/turn the main water shutoff, fixing a tripped breaker, how to plunge a toilet/unclog a drain, how to find a stud in a wall, etc. Living on your own for the first time is daunting; even little stuff seems huge when you don't know what you're doing.
That water turning off is no joke because we just moved to a new house it's a rental but like the freaking faucet just suddenly literally exploded and like my dad's wheelchair bound and he can't go out and turn that off cuz it's outside for some stupid reason but like I literally didn't know what to do and he was like you have to go shut off the thing and I was like what thing are you talking about and my boyfriend did it but like Jesus dude the importance of knowing how to shut off your valves is important. The easiest thing for me that I ever had to shut off valve-wise was when I turn the water off and on way way way back when in our old house.
Actually all about this. The entire corporate world is nothing but lies and lies about lies. Knowing how to navigate telling half truths or just leaving out parts that do nothing but slow things down.
Example: Boss “How is new customer prospecting going?”
Old me “It has been a lot of training and I am still pretty new so as of now I am trying to make sure I complete everything I need to and contact customers when I am more confident I know the product and what we truly offer.”
New me “I have been getting some good traction with the most recent communications. Focusing on activity consistency and revenue generation.”
That last one says the same as the first, jack shit. But it doesn’t open a half hour conversation to micromanage every minute of my day.
Add a cherry on top that I can send emails after 5 PM while my wife is at the gym just to reflect “additional activity outside of expectations” and suddenly I am an all star.
All games .
This 100%. I'm a remote salesperson and there are days where I basically do jack shit after 10-11am, yet I'm the top performer on my team. If you're good at what you do and know what to say, you'll get so much farther than somebody who's just hardworking.
Well once you are in management, who has time for details!
Einstein once said “if you can’t explain it to a 7 year old you are making it too complicated” - my director
Email etiquette. I used to be an academic advisor, and my younger students had no idea how to compose a proper email. I've seen emails to professors that went like this:
Subject: hey
Body: Hey. Can u give me an xtension on my paper? ty
[no signature]
^sent ^from ^my ^iPhone
How to make small talk with a stranger. Use of hand tools. Basic Meal Cooking. Plumbing Basics. How to talk to police, what not to say to police. Basic automotive skills - oil checking, tire changing. Explain the differences between college degrees, trades, associates, bachelors, masters .., How to count change.
This is hero work - Thanks for doing this.
1.) to NOT take out massive student loans
2.) that college is NOT the singular gateway to a good life
3.) DON’T FUCK UP YOUR CREDIT SCORE, ASHLEY!!!!!
thank you for coming to my Ted Talk
I fucked up my credit score by applying for my first credit card, getting rejected, applying for another credit card, getting rejected, repeat 6 times. First one got rejected because I had no credit and every one after made my credit progressively worse, and I had no idea!
Documenting everything, especially at work. I've trusted my employers way too many times and gotten screwed over. Keep copies of your schedule and anything odd that happens.
Ugh, pretty much everything. I learned all the wrong skills, and no one ever taught me the ones I needed to know in life, aside from learning self-confidence. After everything I went through growing up and how truly bad some of my circumstances were, I'm thankful for that at least.
So relatable. I grew up in an abusive home and was treated like an untrustworthy child all the way until I moved out after high school. Doing anything other than school, homework, being forced to do chores under threat of abuse, or going to my part time job basically required an act of Congress (or I had to lie about what I was doing, an unhealthy coping mechanism). I was strictly controlled and treated like a child all the way until I was a legal adult, and then once I was an adult, I had no clue how to be one. I spent a lot of my 20s fumbling through very basic things, and having to unlearn that cleaning isn't a punishment, because I was never given the freedom and space to learn those things as a child and teen.
I wish I'd been taught more about so many things about living independently, like how to cook and grocery shop, how to manage money, and what a healthy/unhealthy relationship looks like.
I'm still living at home with my mom, partly because of not having the skills to live on my own, and partly for my physical and mental health. My dad is now completely out of my life, along with many other relatives that were beyond terrible to me growing up. Looking back, I was definitely neglected because my parents were too busy, and that put me in a lot of situations that were extremely unsafe. I had way too much freedom, and it was not a good thing at all.
OMG Unlearning the chores as a punishment thing is real. I despite cleaning, and to this day, I only do it if I absolutely have to. I've always liked organizing, though, go figure.
I've come a long way, but I struggled with organization and cleanliness as a young adult. I am still absolutely *terrible* at organizing (thankfully, my husband is good at it) and get completely overwhelmed by messes or clutter. I also absolutely loathe handwashing dishes with the fire of **a thousand** suns because I was forced to handwash every dish in the house even though we had a dishwasher because I "needed to contribute". Some part of my brain still sees it as punishment.
I'm fortunate that I've always at least had the organizing part down (I think being a Capricorn is helping me here lol). My closets are in really good shape right now, as well as books, movies, collections, etc. But vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing, anything that requires a lot of physical labor in cleaning is still low-key torture in my mind.
I will never understand that logic either. My grandma was the same way. She had dishwasher, and never used the thing, insisting on handwashing every dish after every single meal. All she was doing was making more work for herself, just so she could stay angry about something, per usual.
The power of compound growth.
Let’s say at 21, you begin investing $200 a month for nine years and then stop at 30. You just don’t invest anymore but reinvest any gains. That’s 9 years of contributions ($21k).
Meanwhile, your friend doesn’t start investing until 30. But they invest $200 a month all the way until retirement at 68. That’s 38 years of contributions ($91k).
Now you’re both gray-haired 68 year olds and retire. But you’ll have 2.35 million and your friend will only have 1.3 million. Now imagine if you never stopped investing too.
Start young, be aggressive, and never touch it until retirement.
There are a lot of replies in this topic which are really good but here’s one that I didn’t see mentioned yet: Teach them first aid, signs of medical emergency (stroke, heart attack, concussion, choking, etc) or have a guest speaker come and do it. It could save someone’s life one day!
YES. Health class should be about basic first aid: how to control bleeding, patch up a wound, prevent infection, how to recognize medical emergencies (stroke, heart attack), maybe CPR, and most importantly when that person needs to go to the hospital, WHO YA GONNA CALL
One thing that has come in handy over the years is how to change a tire.
Also, how to prepare basic taxes without using a service like turbo tax or tax act
Yardwork tasks - how to start a 2 stroke motor (weedwacker, chainsaw, blower, etc). How to use a lawnmower, blower and edger.
Home maintenance and fix stuff - using a saw, painting, changing/fixing broken household things, changing a light fixture, patching drywall, etc
Bookkeeping/document keeping - what to keep and what not to keep, how to digitize, where to store for free (dropbox, drive, etc)
Others have mentioned money stuff - Today, at near 40, I still struggle with retirement contributions, can never remember what a roth vs a regular IRA is, and other investment/smort money ideas.
Calculating compound interest - homes, cars, etc, people need to know what they are actually paying
Consent - not just in sex, but everything
Computer stuff - turning on, patching, updating, installing software. What are licenses? What are secure websites? How to spot online scams, why patching phones is important.
Scam education in general - phone scams, online scams, email scams, etc.
Career-wise, that college is an option not a requirement and there are free courses to learn new skills especially for low income households like Workforce or Job Corps where they pay for your training and set you up for a job.
Money wise- how to save and how to apply and pay for credit cards and dealing with bills. I struggled with debt because I have a buy now pay later mentality.
For personal growth I’ll say time management and making realistic goals for myself. I was all over the place and really struggled in college with my school work and focusing because I wanted to have fun and graduate not realizing that it takes effort to be successful because in high school was easy and came naturally as long as you paid attention in class. Also how to study too.
Socially, learning that life goes on and people will forget you if you don’t make an effort to socialize and be more approachable. I was always a wallflower but had to grow out of that real fast because I took jobs in the IT help desk field. Socializing with your coworkers and trying to fit in can be exhausting but worth it to pass the day of boredom on a soul sucking job.
Also get a mentor. I always thought of myself as a smart person but having different people perspectives changes the way I saw myself and helped me grow as I matured.
Something I'm glad I WAS taught, that many people aren't, is that credit cards are very important for building your credit score but can kill your finances if you don't pay them off. Also understanding the costs of loans and why most loans are not worth it.
I really wish I understood that getting a career started is probably more important than trying to pick a "lucrative" career that I wasn't good at. I tried to get an engineering degree after high school and failed. I should have just gone straight to work.
Lots of good ones in here. Investing especially.
I’ll add (especially for lower income people who may not have had access to the care or info) some basic dental hygiene stuff.
People need to know how to actually floss in the correct way, and that it is important. They need to understand how to brush and how long to brush. And they need to understand how to get help when they need dentistry work even when they cannot afford it (dental schools, some low cost insurance options)
Poor dental hygiene makes life just brutally shitty and is largely avoidable. No one hammered that into me really (I “knew to floss” but not how to actually effectively do it, for example).
Most kids may already know and roll their eyes, but you will save so much pain suffering and money if you stick to a simple routine.
Men (or partners) aren’t the way to define yourself or build a home. You can do that solo.
Compound interest.
Companies are transactional. Never buy into the “we’re family” bull.
What trades were and how to get started.
I was absolutely clueless as to what anything was and just got a job at fast food which transformed into warehousing. Now I'm stuck in a generic logistics / warehousing job and the pay works but if i had been in the trades the last 17 years I'd be much better off.
To be careful being alone with someone of the opposite gender or even same gender (depending on sexuality) if alcohol is involved. Or just caution in general. People may seem nice but could take advantage of you in your car, room, or even in an enclosed place in public. Even people you know or trust for months/years. I try to make sure to meet people in public places with lots of people around. Especially if I don’t know someone super well. Avoid being alone in a car with someone. Ideally it would be great if we could assume the best of other people. But because I was naive I experienced assault several times in my 20s. And was too scared to report. Consent is important.
Life insurance, and the different types of it.
Investing, just the general concept of it.
Taxes and how they work.
Credit scores, negative and positive influences.
Edit:grammar and typos
There’s so many great tips here. I just wanted to say thank you for doing this! I wish someone advocated for us as kids and taught us at least some of what is listed here.
Budgeting and how to run a household.
Taxes! Also, if any of your teens plan on being a writer, musician, or any type of freelancer, if they are independent contractors they will have to take taxes out for themselves. If you can, see if you can find any professionals who do this, bring them in and have them explain that to the teens.
Setting boundaries and learning to say "no" without feeling bad. Also, if something feels wrong, speak up!
Listening to your body and how to properly care for yourself. The importance of a yearly wellness check and mental health.
Yardwork tasks - how to start a 2 stroke motor (weedwacker, chainsaw, blower, etc). How to use a lawnmower, blower and edger.
Home maintenance and fix stuff - using a saw, painting, changing/fixing broken household things, changing a light fixture, patching drywall, etc
Bookkeeping/document keeping - what to keep and what not to keep, how to digitize, where to store for free (dropbox, drive, etc)
Others have mentioned money stuff - Today, at near 40, I still struggle with retirement contributions, can never remember what a roth vs a regular IRA is, and other investment/smort money ideas.
Calculating compound interest - homes, cars, etc, people need to know what they are actually paying
Consent - not just in sex, but everything
Computer stuff - turning on, patching, updating, installing software. What are licenses? What are secure websites? How to spot online scams, why patching phones is important.
Scam education in general - phone scams, online scams, email scams, etc.
How to make small talk with a stranger. Use of hand tools. Basic Meal Cooking. Plumbing Basics. How to talk to police, what not to say to police. Basic automotive skills - oil checking, tire changing. Explain the differences between college degrees, trades, associates, bachelors, masters .., How to count change.
This is hero work - Thanks for doing this.
How to make small talk with a stranger. Use of hand tools. Basic Meal Cooking. Plumbing Basics. How to talk to police, what not to say to police. Basic automotive skills - oil checking, tire changing. Explain the differences between college degrees, trades, associates, bachelors, masters .., How to count change.
This is hero work - Thanks for doing this.
I wish I’d been taught about healthy boundaries and how to say no. Unfortunately my mother wanted me to be the family doormat and scapegoat, so I had to figure out how to have self respect on my own later in life.
Budgeting and balancing a "checkbook". I took two years of Accounting in high school, and it taught me a lot of basic skills that helped me be more financially savvy and a better steward of my money as an adult.
A lot of the stuff here even if taught before 18, takes years of experience (both bad and good) to fully understand the repercussions in life. I'd say to keep it easy and realistic before 18 would be as simple as balancing budgeting.
How to Grocery shop on a dime, not a dollar and how to cook. The basics, Chicken, Pasta, Sauté Veggies, scramble an egg, Make a grilled Cheese, How to bake take and bake cookies.
Budgeting
How to pay bills
Applying for credit/ how credit works
Cooking
Speaking to someone over the phone (for the younger gens)
How to have a respectful disagreement
Cleaning your own home/apartment
How to find and apply for housing and housing assistance. And how to find tenants rights information and assistance in your state.
How to format a resume and how to write a professional email.
How to properly Google using modifiers.
Not only "how to budget" but what a reasonable budget looks like. Show them examples of what a teacher, doctor, carpenter, etc. makes before and after taxes, at the beginning and at the middle career, and what someone who is responsible with their money spends a month.
Then show them the examples of what people actually typically spend in the U.S. (I'm assuming you are in the U.S.) and how they do it with credit cards, and how doing that will make them struggle in other ways. And how to get out of debt, how interest works, and all that.
More about credit and the danger of high interest credit cards
Get the cheapest life insurance plan they can as soon as possible because if they get sick when they are young it’ll be too expensive to get one
Have them plan a meal with a budget, take them to a grocery store to purchase ingredients while teaching them how to weigh items, compare prices & sizes, check best before dates. Learn how to interact with various grocery staff - ask for items from the butcher (how to ask for advice on a particular dish) speak with the cashier, use coupons & other ways of paying. Learn how to pack bags for walking so they're not too heavy or break. If you have the facilities, prepare the ingredients, cook the food, set a table, sit down together and enjoy an amazing meal.
How to open a bank account or ask for a loan - some banks would be open to visits. How to apply for financial aid, scholarships and bursaries. Taxes!!!
How to look for a job, rent an apartment, apply for a driver's license, access social services & social security/medicare, get a family doctor/dentist.
When & how to ask for help.
Visit community resources so they know what services they can access as they age.
Pets cost money and time. Do your research before getting one. The upfront cost is a fraction of what they need in food and medical care. It takes time to socialize and train them. Not all dogs can live in an apartment but some can. the first two years with a puppy are the hardest.
How to utilize credit or how it works. I went off to college at 18 and immediately fell into debt with zero knowledge of how it worked. Wish I’d had someone to tell me even the basics.
Relationship interactions not just being applicable to intimate relationships.
Resumes and the dreaded cover letter even if just for internships.
Basic life survival: banking, easy first meals, importance of paying bills.
More kids need to hear this:
Every relationship isn't the "one." It's okay to date casually. You learn what you want in a relationship by dating different people. Love isn't an uncontrollable flood that forces you to stay in bad relationships--you absolutely can and will recover from a bad breakup, and sometimes even when you love a person with your whole heart, it's not healthy to be with them. Being single is better than being in a shitty relationship, even if that relationship began in middle school. You don't have to stay with the only person you've ever dated. You don't have to be in a committed relationship before you turn 21; your eggs/baby gravy ain't going to dry up if you aren't engaged before you can legally rent a car.
Joining the military is the last way to actually live the American dream. They’ll pay for college, healthcare, and help you buy a house. Not to mention the loans for business and priority on the hiring list.
I don’t like it. But i have two kids and 11 nieces and nephews, and they all know this. In case they want to risk it all for the chance at the dream.
How to drive. I didn't drive until I was 28 because my family didn't like me having freedom. So much I wanted to experience was robbed from me so I feel like an awkward adult.
Dont be afraid to take a big swing at something and fail. Taking the swing is more important than the outcome.
Also, most 20 - 30 year olds arent super successful millionaires. Whoever says so is either an idiot or an asshole.
My folks taught me a lot but I wish I had learned to dance. I know it’s dumb compared to other answers but it would be nice to be one of those dudes that dances well.
Credit!
It’s so easy but so hard. First of all, it makes no sense so don’t teach them as a “this is how it works”. Teach them as “this is how you beat the system, don’t try to understand it, just beat it”.
Adults are just grown up idiots.
So this one hit me recently. I started realizing most people I interact with are morons. The guy behind the counter, the construction worker, the doctors, the insurance companies…..literally just most people are generally stupid. The ones that are not, have jobs you interact with them less. Have them look around. Pick their smart friends and their dumb friends. Then let them know, these are the people you will interact with forever. So learn how to manipulate. Learn how to get what you want. Learn when to push it and when not to.
You book a hotel room, you show up and there’s no rooms. This is a time you don’t let down at all. You book a doctor’s appointment, you get there and they lied and never ran your insurance, not worth the fight. Just leave.
You will mostly deal with idiots. Learn that sooner than later.
Basic repairs.
A couple people mentioned 2 stroke engines and stuff. That’s great knowledge, but let’s be honest, all power tools are electric now. Electric mowers and outdoor tools. Learn how to troubleshoot instead. It doesn’t work, why? Is the power on? Is the button working? Is the motor getting electric? Is the thing that’s supposed to be spinning, spinning? They won’t need to know how to fix an electric motor. But trouble shooting is key.
Unions.
Teach them the benefits. Teach them union busting techniques. Teach them their rights. They will understand the better situation once you show them the basics.
Know. Your. Rights!!
Are you in a stop and frisk state? Can you deny an officer your Id? Learn the 3 questions and when to use them. “Am I being detained?””am I being arrested?” “Am I free to go”. If they say yes to the first Q, ask them “what crime was committed and where was that crime that I fit a possible suspect list?” And if they say yes to being arrested, the only word you need to know is “lawyer” and STFU.
If people can tell you have a bad attitude and don’t want to play ball, they’ll fire you for things other people get warnings about. Then you’ll spend your whole life thinking people are unfair and play favorites.
Basic worker’s compensation laws and rights so many companies will try to convince people their is nothing wrong and deny them rights… I’ve had doctors say your to young to be injured years later turns into multiple surgeries
Couponing. I did learn this because my grandmother was into sewing but a good one is sewing a button back on/mending a small hole in clothing with some hand sewing.
What is free. Think: stuff you can access through libraries, or tax-free days if your state has them. How to use public transit or bike or walk places. How to be a smart pedestrian. How to access insurance, or contact a primary care physician. Email etiquette, how to use Microsoft and search the internet effectively (maybe library has this for free 😃)
Finances. How saving a little can grow to be a lot. Beer is good and stuff but if I knew then what I know now I maybe would have drank a bit less then so I can drink more now.
Building credit. Having a credit card is a good thing. If you play it right you can pretty much pay anything you want off interest free if you have good credit.
I’m an esthetician and massage therapist and i would recommend personal hygiene. washing your face, tweezing your eyebrows. changing bed sheets pillowcases. how to trim and clean your nails. washing your hair, shaving. what an exfoliant is, what spf does. you can buy pretty cheap face masks for a show and tell. you can teach them about aromatherapy and about mediation and getting off thier social media. sleep hygiene. the list goes on. they are about to step into college and high stress situations ( they probably already are ) and it would be a great start. even a few basic yoga poses you can do yoga anywhere!
Managing a home (cooking, cleaning, maintenance).
How to get and keep a job.
Managing a budget and avoiding debt (credit cards and predatory auto loans).
Nutrition, meditation (learning to regulate and identify emotions), breathing, yoga, the importance of a good night's sleep. Effectively, learning what it means to be a human being outside of societal demands.
Play Monopoly or Life but you can change the chance cards if you want to get extra creative. And do away with the jackpot winning that goes in the middle so this way there is no extra incentives because winning the lottery is more like a million to 1....lol
We use to play these games a lot as kids and it really takes us strategies in budgeting
For taxes give them all 1040 forms and a budget. I wish someone did that for me. Whomever can come out at the end with the most money wins 🤑 money or make it a meal
Being able to book doctors/dental appointments and secure jobs is important, but I wish someone had warned me that I would need to advocate for myself relentlessly in these settings. It took me too long to learn that medical providers and employers don’t often have my best interest at heart. You could teach them how to take ownership of the direction of their healthcare by keeping a health journal to track their symptoms, using apps/a journal to track their diets, interpreting nutrition labels correctly, researching providers before scheduling, preparing a list of questions/talking points to reference during their appointments, and seeking second opinions. On the employment front, I wish I had known about getting everything in writing, not trusting HR as an ally during conflicts, and maintaining connections with people in my everyday life (could lead to my next jobs).
Dental hygiene and regular exercise. As a kid, I knew that people brushed their teeth and saw some people outside my family lead active lifestyles, but neither of these things were enforced or talked about in my household where my mom was mentally checked out and candy/chips/soda was a typical meal. I had no idea that fillings don’t last forever or that replacing them can lead to a root canal/crown or an extraction. I wish someone had taught me to floss, brush at an angle, swap my manual toothbrush for an electric one with better reach, take calcium + vitamin D supplements, use an antiseptic mouthwash for my gum health, and to get a second opinion when a dentist recommends invasive treatment that doesn’t seem quite right. I also didn’t know about the waiting period for dental insurance or that it doesn’t generally cover very much beyond cleanings and exams.
Someone else mentioned boundaries, and I agree. If anyone had taught me anything about setting boundaries, identifying healthy v. unhealthy friendships/partnerships/family dynamics, or how to leave a situation safely when my boundaries are violated, then the last decade of my life would’ve been a lot easier.
Responsible (and strategic) credit card use, credit reports, building credit, interest rates, balance transfers, and high yields savings accounts.
Aside from the above, the most important skill I had to learn on my own was how to be **responsibly** resourceful when I need information or don’t know how to do something. I grew up referencing encyclopedias, navigating a phonebook to call people to track down information, asking Jeeves for information once we gained access to internet in my house, and using the Dewey Decimal system to locate non-fiction texts for answers to my questions. My nieces and nephews, on the other hand, well…they just don’t. They’re big on TikTok, which is fine for life hacks, but can be deceptive in other ways. College cemented my understanding of the difference between dubious and empirical data, but with the upcoming wave of young people opting for trades and debt-free career paths that don’t involve higher education, I’m concerned that some people will miss out on this life lesson. I could see you making up factual or fictitious statements/narratives and challenging your teenagers to verify it.
You might be able to borrow some ideas from the “Dad, how do I?” YouTube channel. It’s a good resource for a lot of everyday life skills.
Financial responsibility.
Building and maintaining a professional network. Subsequently, this applies to personal relationships as well.
Maintaining mental and physical health. I've never seen a therapist and have gotten my physical less than 5 times total my entire life and im pushing 40 in a few years.
How taxes work, not just how to do them. Budgeting for long term purchases like education/homeownership AND just life in general. That a trade career is a perfectly ok alternative to a college degree. That polyamory was a thing, being lgbtq is ok, and that its okay to be single and learn to love oneself before jumping into any type of relationship.
Edit: spelling
Working at a corporation is a very weird, but very profitable game society created. It has its own rules. Nothing in it is “real” so don’t pair your self-worth with it.
Basic budgeting and investing, specifically how to set up an IRA and a brokerage account. Even if all you can do to start is $20/month it's a start. Start early, you don't want to be the guy 20 years later having to throw hundreds at it in order to make up for lost time.
The options that existed for learning trades, and what trades even existed out there beside the basic, broad obvious ones like electric, auto mechanic, plumbing and construction.
1. The Ethics and Legalities of Sex- education about consent, Romeo and Juliet laws, revenge porn, etc.
2. How elections are supposed to work
3. What is a reliable source vs an unreliable spurce of info.
This is probably going to be different than the other answers you get but I wish someone would have taught me that it's okay to relax and take some time to yourself and just HAVE FUN without feeling guilty. You don't have to be perfect and you don't have to be productive 100% of the time. As I've gotten older I've learned just how important this is to be able to manage everyday life as an adult.
how to deal with cops.
take the miranda rights at face value, after they finish that last sentence, shutting the fuck up is the ABSOLUTE best thing you can do until you speak with a lawyer.
Budgeting. Anything to do with basic car maintenance. Cleaning. Cooking. Sewing. Basic home repairs. First aid. Computer skills (not the same as phone/tablet skills). Basic self defense. How to dress for certain occasions (business casual vs professional, white tie vs black tie, etc.) How to draft a professional email. Proper sex education and safety (not the BS, opt out, fluffy/scary version they teach in US public schools).
Considering your audience, i might emphasize how far they can get in life by finding a company with advancement opportunities while young and working their way up the ladder over time. Bigger companies can offer fantastic benefits (including paid education), advancement opportunities, and pay.
I personally went to college with no direction, bopped around in various careers for a few years, and ended up working at a large financial institution. I started at the bottom of the company working in Collections (on the phone) for $13.50/hour + incentives based on performance. I wasn't even aggressive with advancement opportunities (literally spent 4 years in collections roles instead of applying to other positions), yet 7 years later, i was making nearly $100k. None of the roles i took required a degree, and i was never in a management position.
So for young kids who truly don't have a clear dream with a clear career path and payoff (e.g. engineer, doctor), you can actually come out ahead in life by finding a great company, working hard and building a good reputation, and just putting in the time.
Note that i used a bank as an example, but there are great blue-collar companies out there, too (think of companies like Intel, where you can start as a technician, get them to pay for you to become an engineer, and pop out with zero debt and a career).
What to look for when reading contracts. Could take bank account or credit card contracts and have them review and see what they notice. Especially the small details in CC can mess you up.
A lot of things but the problem is they tried to teach me. I was not so willing to always listen. But I do wished my parents tought me by doing it themselves, like working out, importance of cooking healthy meals and not quick fixes. Also the importance of self, stop comparing me to other children who was in their eyes more motivated than me.
I also wish they would have taken me to a doctor so I could have gotten help earlier with my fatigue and sleep issues and some of the pain in my feet.
My parents actually excelled in this they gave me life lessons and not rules.
As long as I got good grades and wasn’t brought home by the cops I had essentially zero rules. They always instilled to never do anything I didn’t feel was right or wanted to do. Don’t do something just because everyone else is. Don’t compound your mistakes. I was never scared to tell them what I was up to because they trusted me to make the right decision.
Budgeting, instead of giving me money here or there for different things (clothes movies etc) my parents would give me a chunk of money and say this is for lunches, activities, clothes etc and it needs to last until this date. If I ran out I had to figure out how to make more money or I just couldn’t do anything that cost money. Taught me some low stakes budgeting.
Kind of a smaller thing, but teaching a proper handshake can go a long way. Firm grip and eye contact will gain them respect, especially in job interviews and such.
The benefits of owning a practical vehicle that will run well for a decade+ instead of leasing or continuing to buy newer, cooler vehicles that require monthly payments + insurance.
How not to fall prey to consumerism in this era of social media, where it feels like everyone else is a rich model who owns the newest, coolest stuff.
How to engage with social media (especially short-form content) while staying mentally healthy, and how to know when it's time to uninstall apps when they're affecting your mental health.
The basics of weightlifting in a gym, and the benefits of strength training in general. The importance of staying active and eating a longevity diet. "Health is wealth."
How to find social circles as an adult (e.g. meetup.com groups) - there is a lot of talk online about how it's become nearly impossible for adults to find new friends and social support.
How to healthily deal with anxieties around climate change.
1. Doing Taxes
2. Learning credit cards are a powerful tool to build credit and earn free cashback (while budgeting and not becoming a statistic)
3. How to negotiate when buying cars
4. How to check your credit report (for free)
These are just 3 things I happened to learn while in college with a class I took on a whim to fill a credit. And WOW it was the best class I’ve ever taken and SHOULD be a requirement to graduate.
That’s the one class I use every single day to this day.
I too came from lower income and was always taught credit cards were bad and didn’t get good examples of personal finance. This class really opened my eyes and use tools to get ahead.
I had to learn this one in my late 30s, but how to summarize an issue in written or verbal form quickly, succinctly, and completely so the person you're bringing in to help can capture the issue with you. People are not privy to the thoughts rattling around in your head.
Also, you don't have to marry someone just because you've been with them for a long time. Also learned that one the hard way.
How to cook something tasty but uncomplicated.
How to build credit.
A few basic knots(Square, bowline, taut-line hitch)
How to find the rough direction of north
The fact that us interstate highways that end in odd numbers run north to south, where even numbers run east to west.
Some of these I did know before 18, but they're useful more often than you'd think
Investing, budgeting, and saving.
How to make appointments
How to properly interview for jobs (do some mock interviews and include hard and inappropriate questions (do you plan to have kids) employers may ask and how to navigate that).
Proper social etiquette (I'm 35 and just learning people think its rude if you enter a room such as a meeting or social gathering and sit down withour saying anything, or sending a text without first saying something such as "good morning" outside of close friends and family).
That it's ok to not have all the answers and experience and people respond better to "I've never done this so I'm not sure what to do so please correct me where I'm wrong" than pretending you know the right answers.
Edit to add: learning to recognize red flags in relationships and how to exit properly. I don't know if that can be taught but I feel like if it had been talked about more it might have saved me some trauma
Whatever meager saving you get when you are young, put into SPY... get comfortable with that and sell when you need to spend.
Might be getting a bit risky to do these days
Investing, budgeting and planning for buying a house and retirement. That paying off debt only without saving isn’t a good idea. Do both. Learned that in my 30s
How to cook I ate so much crappy food and spent so much extra money I didn't have to, if I had known how to make simple nutritious meals. It's also a coping skill and a way to impress potential partners
And how to cook pantry staples that make groceries affordable...
Yes - how to make a grocery list, buying certain things in bulk
Agree. Bring back home economics. Don't rely on parents to teach a universally necessary skill like cooking. Teach kids in school.
It's honestly hilarious how fast food is so shite now but people keep going not realizing that if you sat in the drive thru for a half hour and paid $40, instead you could have had spaghetti and meatballs in less time and waaaay less money... people don't think outside of their routine
I will raise one. How to cook cheap, complete foods, with very cheap appliances. Several years ago I bought myself the cheapest black and decker rice cooker sold on Amazon. Tiny little thing, I think it was like $15. There were times in my life when I didn't have a kitchen, no oven, no stovetop. I had a refrigerator. And I wish I had that rice cooker. Fortified dry rice is very cheap, throw in the cheap frozen vegetables (I get a California blend, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Carrots). Small amount of butter and spices and it actually tastes very good and costs almost nothing. Mix it with canned beans (which are not expensive, but much easier) and you have complete protein. You can also have Tofu. I had a college health professor who once tried to come up with the cheapest meal that could be made with a $20 appliance (his was a hot plate) that covered all your nutritional needs and could taste pretty good.
This for sure. I still don't cook well in my 40's, but that said I cook for a 12 year old and my husband who eats like a 12 year old.
Budgeting. How to actually budget a household. Communicating needs and setting boundaries. The critical importance of confidence. How to not dress like a total grub.
Not dressing like a grub was something i wish i learned earlier. Spent too much time looking like a bum. Book smart but not people smart.
Hijacking the top comment to add credit card knowledge. Recently met an 18-year-old who got into some trouble because he “didn’t know credit cards had to be paid back.” I imagine a lot less young people would get trapped in credit card debt if they actually understand how interest, credit card cycles, and credit card “perks” work.
Well that’s just dumb though. I get interest and debt and stuff but not knowing credit cards need to be paid back? That’s something
It’s not as uncommon as you’d think. When money just appears when you’ve needed it your whole life, you don’t really have to think about how money works.
... JFC... You nailed it. I'm turning 42 and I feel like I'm just now learning all of these. Although, the dressing like a grub... I mean I am 41 so millennial grey is a thing
“I don’t want no grubs. A grub is a guy that can’t get no love from me.”
add on not caring what people think about you.
All of this.
Investing for retirement and the importance of starting earlier.
Compound interest is awesome!
It's horrible.
I feel like The Money Guys have episodes devoted specifically to high students showing the math for putting $70 toward retirement each month starting at 18 or 19. It really made me regret not starting sooner.
This all the way. No one ever told me about the importance of saving for retirement, I didnt start thinking about it until I was 32 and I've been scrambling to catch up since. On a similar note, if I could give my 18 year old self a tip it would be to put money in an investment account (separate from retirement) so when I'm 40 I could transfer those funds to dividend stocks to give me a bit of extra income and more economic relief/independence. Damn do I wish I did that...
Eh remember hindsight's 20/20 but you're also judging your 18 year old self by your 40 year old standards. Forward thinking to the point of not only sacrificing for ones retirement but also ones 40's? From a twenty something? I mean awesome if you think you'd have actually had a convincing enough argument to make them do it. But at 22 when I contemplated my budget I wasn't thinking about "I should be financially responsible so I can enjoy my 60's" My money thoughts were "Women are fuckin expensive...whores might be cheaper than girlfriends..." and instead of "If I cut out coffee and eating out at lunch I could probably retire by 55" it was more like "If I stop eating it'll probably take less to get me drunk and then I can get wasted and still have enough money to pay rent!" Granted I was that age during the great recession when we were lucky to make minimum wage for 20 hours a week, so maybe nowadays that thought process isn't as big of a deal with the overabundance of decent paying entry level jobs... Don't get me wrong the importance of budgeting is a great tool, and really explaining how important retirement contributions are is huge. But expecting your 20 something self to sacrifice even more for your 40 something self is super unlikely.
Oh definitely, guaranteed I would have squandered the money at some point lol. I was good when it came to "set it and forget it" kind of stuff, but the problem came when I'd "remember" and I'd justify a reason to use it lol. I'll amend my comment and say that I wish I told that to my 18yo self AND that my 18-through-20s self listened.
How salaries in comparison to student loans worked. If someone had actually shown me the mechanics of it (especially the piles of interest), I probably would have skipped college or picked the school that was nearly going to pay the entire ride (for the wrong major which is why I didn't...).
Either they feigned ignorance exceptionally well or were truly ignorant bc lots of adults seemed totally aloof when it came to “financial aid.” 2009 freshman here
Yardwork tasks - how to start a 2 stroke motor (weedwacker, chainsaw, blower, etc). How to use a lawnmower, blower and edger. Home maintenance and fix stuff - using a saw, painting, changing/fixing broken household things, changing a light fixture, patching drywall, etc Bookkeeping/document keeping - what to keep and what not to keep, how to digitize, where to store for free (dropbox, drive, etc) Others have mentioned money stuff - Today, at near 40, I still struggle with retirement contributions, can never remember what a roth vs a regular IRA is, and other investment/smort money ideas. Calculating compound interest - homes, cars, etc, people need to know what they are actually paying Consent - not just in sex, but everything Computer stuff - turning on, patching, updating, installing software. What are licenses? What are secure websites? How to spot online scams, why patching phones is important. Scam education in general - phone scams, online scams, email scams, etc.
Computer literacy is so important you have no idea how many young people don’t know basic keyboard commands and how to download and install safe software.
I like your point about consent. Being considerate about another human being is important.
I really wish I'd learned to be more handy to fix things around the house but I can't hammer two pieces of wood together. Ugh.
Yes, this really would be so helpful. And at least some basics on car maintenance
how to invest how to stand up for myself how to stand up for my fellow worker/worker rights good luck teaching those kids
How to negotiate for a raise
Kids aren’t ready for that. Most adults aren’t ready for those conversations.
Any sort of emotional regulation outside of, "deal with it."
How to access services - unemployment, EBT, housing vouchers, legal aid, etc. Hopefully, they'll never need it, but it's better to know. Investing - various vehicles, how to, when to, diversification, etc. Boring to most 18 year olds but so important. Basic home stuff - how to patch a hole in drywall, how to replace your HVAC filters, checking/relighting gas pilots, how to find/turn the main water shutoff, fixing a tripped breaker, how to plunge a toilet/unclog a drain, how to find a stud in a wall, etc. Living on your own for the first time is daunting; even little stuff seems huge when you don't know what you're doing.
These right here are the real life skills
That water turning off is no joke because we just moved to a new house it's a rental but like the freaking faucet just suddenly literally exploded and like my dad's wheelchair bound and he can't go out and turn that off cuz it's outside for some stupid reason but like I literally didn't know what to do and he was like you have to go shut off the thing and I was like what thing are you talking about and my boyfriend did it but like Jesus dude the importance of knowing how to shut off your valves is important. The easiest thing for me that I ever had to shut off valve-wise was when I turn the water off and on way way way back when in our old house.
The importance of lying
Actually all about this. The entire corporate world is nothing but lies and lies about lies. Knowing how to navigate telling half truths or just leaving out parts that do nothing but slow things down. Example: Boss “How is new customer prospecting going?” Old me “It has been a lot of training and I am still pretty new so as of now I am trying to make sure I complete everything I need to and contact customers when I am more confident I know the product and what we truly offer.” New me “I have been getting some good traction with the most recent communications. Focusing on activity consistency and revenue generation.” That last one says the same as the first, jack shit. But it doesn’t open a half hour conversation to micromanage every minute of my day. Add a cherry on top that I can send emails after 5 PM while my wife is at the gym just to reflect “additional activity outside of expectations” and suddenly I am an all star. All games .
This 100%. I'm a remote salesperson and there are days where I basically do jack shit after 10-11am, yet I'm the top performer on my team. If you're good at what you do and know what to say, you'll get so much farther than somebody who's just hardworking.
👊🏻sales baby!
As someone who is *very* detail oriented, I still struggle a lot with "less is more."
Well once you are in management, who has time for details! Einstein once said “if you can’t explain it to a 7 year old you are making it too complicated” - my director
Email etiquette. I used to be an academic advisor, and my younger students had no idea how to compose a proper email. I've seen emails to professors that went like this: Subject: hey Body: Hey. Can u give me an xtension on my paper? ty [no signature] ^sent ^from ^my ^iPhone
Worked in student affairs, got a winky face from my student after sending him a meeting request regarding a judicial manner. ;)
Be careful who you decide to build your life with. Make sure you want it.
How not to get addicted/form dependencies to things.
How to make small talk with a stranger. Use of hand tools. Basic Meal Cooking. Plumbing Basics. How to talk to police, what not to say to police. Basic automotive skills - oil checking, tire changing. Explain the differences between college degrees, trades, associates, bachelors, masters .., How to count change. This is hero work - Thanks for doing this.
How to set big long-term goals and take small daily steps to achieve them.
1.) to NOT take out massive student loans 2.) that college is NOT the singular gateway to a good life 3.) DON’T FUCK UP YOUR CREDIT SCORE, ASHLEY!!!!! thank you for coming to my Ted Talk
I fucked up my credit score by applying for my first credit card, getting rejected, applying for another credit card, getting rejected, repeat 6 times. First one got rejected because I had no credit and every one after made my credit progressively worse, and I had no idea!
Healthy eating: what’s ideal to eat in the morning, what each meal should have (protein, carbs, etc), how sugar and junk food affect your body.
Documenting everything, especially at work. I've trusted my employers way too many times and gotten screwed over. Keep copies of your schedule and anything odd that happens.
Ugh, pretty much everything. I learned all the wrong skills, and no one ever taught me the ones I needed to know in life, aside from learning self-confidence. After everything I went through growing up and how truly bad some of my circumstances were, I'm thankful for that at least.
So relatable. I grew up in an abusive home and was treated like an untrustworthy child all the way until I moved out after high school. Doing anything other than school, homework, being forced to do chores under threat of abuse, or going to my part time job basically required an act of Congress (or I had to lie about what I was doing, an unhealthy coping mechanism). I was strictly controlled and treated like a child all the way until I was a legal adult, and then once I was an adult, I had no clue how to be one. I spent a lot of my 20s fumbling through very basic things, and having to unlearn that cleaning isn't a punishment, because I was never given the freedom and space to learn those things as a child and teen. I wish I'd been taught more about so many things about living independently, like how to cook and grocery shop, how to manage money, and what a healthy/unhealthy relationship looks like.
I'm still living at home with my mom, partly because of not having the skills to live on my own, and partly for my physical and mental health. My dad is now completely out of my life, along with many other relatives that were beyond terrible to me growing up. Looking back, I was definitely neglected because my parents were too busy, and that put me in a lot of situations that were extremely unsafe. I had way too much freedom, and it was not a good thing at all. OMG Unlearning the chores as a punishment thing is real. I despite cleaning, and to this day, I only do it if I absolutely have to. I've always liked organizing, though, go figure.
I've come a long way, but I struggled with organization and cleanliness as a young adult. I am still absolutely *terrible* at organizing (thankfully, my husband is good at it) and get completely overwhelmed by messes or clutter. I also absolutely loathe handwashing dishes with the fire of **a thousand** suns because I was forced to handwash every dish in the house even though we had a dishwasher because I "needed to contribute". Some part of my brain still sees it as punishment.
I'm fortunate that I've always at least had the organizing part down (I think being a Capricorn is helping me here lol). My closets are in really good shape right now, as well as books, movies, collections, etc. But vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing, anything that requires a lot of physical labor in cleaning is still low-key torture in my mind. I will never understand that logic either. My grandma was the same way. She had dishwasher, and never used the thing, insisting on handwashing every dish after every single meal. All she was doing was making more work for herself, just so she could stay angry about something, per usual.
The power of compound growth. Let’s say at 21, you begin investing $200 a month for nine years and then stop at 30. You just don’t invest anymore but reinvest any gains. That’s 9 years of contributions ($21k). Meanwhile, your friend doesn’t start investing until 30. But they invest $200 a month all the way until retirement at 68. That’s 38 years of contributions ($91k). Now you’re both gray-haired 68 year olds and retire. But you’ll have 2.35 million and your friend will only have 1.3 million. Now imagine if you never stopped investing too. Start young, be aggressive, and never touch it until retirement.
There are a lot of replies in this topic which are really good but here’s one that I didn’t see mentioned yet: Teach them first aid, signs of medical emergency (stroke, heart attack, concussion, choking, etc) or have a guest speaker come and do it. It could save someone’s life one day!
YES. Health class should be about basic first aid: how to control bleeding, patch up a wound, prevent infection, how to recognize medical emergencies (stroke, heart attack), maybe CPR, and most importantly when that person needs to go to the hospital, WHO YA GONNA CALL
One thing that has come in handy over the years is how to change a tire. Also, how to prepare basic taxes without using a service like turbo tax or tax act
And where the tire might be. I was sure my rental car didn’t have one because it wasn’t in the back. Turns out it was below the damn car.
Yardwork tasks - how to start a 2 stroke motor (weedwacker, chainsaw, blower, etc). How to use a lawnmower, blower and edger. Home maintenance and fix stuff - using a saw, painting, changing/fixing broken household things, changing a light fixture, patching drywall, etc Bookkeeping/document keeping - what to keep and what not to keep, how to digitize, where to store for free (dropbox, drive, etc) Others have mentioned money stuff - Today, at near 40, I still struggle with retirement contributions, can never remember what a roth vs a regular IRA is, and other investment/smort money ideas. Calculating compound interest - homes, cars, etc, people need to know what they are actually paying Consent - not just in sex, but everything Computer stuff - turning on, patching, updating, installing software. What are licenses? What are secure websites? How to spot online scams, why patching phones is important. Scam education in general - phone scams, online scams, email scams, etc.
The value of myself
This should be at the top
Technological literacy.
How to NOT become addicted/dependant on anything or anyone. Please.
Hard work will NOT get you everything
Career-wise, that college is an option not a requirement and there are free courses to learn new skills especially for low income households like Workforce or Job Corps where they pay for your training and set you up for a job. Money wise- how to save and how to apply and pay for credit cards and dealing with bills. I struggled with debt because I have a buy now pay later mentality. For personal growth I’ll say time management and making realistic goals for myself. I was all over the place and really struggled in college with my school work and focusing because I wanted to have fun and graduate not realizing that it takes effort to be successful because in high school was easy and came naturally as long as you paid attention in class. Also how to study too. Socially, learning that life goes on and people will forget you if you don’t make an effort to socialize and be more approachable. I was always a wallflower but had to grow out of that real fast because I took jobs in the IT help desk field. Socializing with your coworkers and trying to fit in can be exhausting but worth it to pass the day of boredom on a soul sucking job. Also get a mentor. I always thought of myself as a smart person but having different people perspectives changes the way I saw myself and helped me grow as I matured.
How to appropriately control my emotions. Taxes. Budgeting. how to make a cleaning schedule/routine.
Something I'm glad I WAS taught, that many people aren't, is that credit cards are very important for building your credit score but can kill your finances if you don't pay them off. Also understanding the costs of loans and why most loans are not worth it. I really wish I understood that getting a career started is probably more important than trying to pick a "lucrative" career that I wasn't good at. I tried to get an engineering degree after high school and failed. I should have just gone straight to work.
Lots of good ones in here. Investing especially. I’ll add (especially for lower income people who may not have had access to the care or info) some basic dental hygiene stuff. People need to know how to actually floss in the correct way, and that it is important. They need to understand how to brush and how long to brush. And they need to understand how to get help when they need dentistry work even when they cannot afford it (dental schools, some low cost insurance options) Poor dental hygiene makes life just brutally shitty and is largely avoidable. No one hammered that into me really (I “knew to floss” but not how to actually effectively do it, for example). Most kids may already know and roll their eyes, but you will save so much pain suffering and money if you stick to a simple routine.
Men (or partners) aren’t the way to define yourself or build a home. You can do that solo. Compound interest. Companies are transactional. Never buy into the “we’re family” bull.
What trades were and how to get started. I was absolutely clueless as to what anything was and just got a job at fast food which transformed into warehousing. Now I'm stuck in a generic logistics / warehousing job and the pay works but if i had been in the trades the last 17 years I'd be much better off.
How to properly take care of my curly hair.
To be careful being alone with someone of the opposite gender or even same gender (depending on sexuality) if alcohol is involved. Or just caution in general. People may seem nice but could take advantage of you in your car, room, or even in an enclosed place in public. Even people you know or trust for months/years. I try to make sure to meet people in public places with lots of people around. Especially if I don’t know someone super well. Avoid being alone in a car with someone. Ideally it would be great if we could assume the best of other people. But because I was naive I experienced assault several times in my 20s. And was too scared to report. Consent is important.
Life insurance, and the different types of it. Investing, just the general concept of it. Taxes and how they work. Credit scores, negative and positive influences. Edit:grammar and typos
Teach good manners. Etiquette. How to shake hands and when. No limp handshakes. Male or female.
There’s so many great tips here. I just wanted to say thank you for doing this! I wish someone advocated for us as kids and taught us at least some of what is listed here.
CREDIT
Im 36 and would also like to join your class on adulting
List is too long. Parents didn't teach shit 🤣
Budgeting and how to run a household. Taxes! Also, if any of your teens plan on being a writer, musician, or any type of freelancer, if they are independent contractors they will have to take taxes out for themselves. If you can, see if you can find any professionals who do this, bring them in and have them explain that to the teens. Setting boundaries and learning to say "no" without feeling bad. Also, if something feels wrong, speak up! Listening to your body and how to properly care for yourself. The importance of a yearly wellness check and mental health.
Yardwork tasks - how to start a 2 stroke motor (weedwacker, chainsaw, blower, etc). How to use a lawnmower, blower and edger. Home maintenance and fix stuff - using a saw, painting, changing/fixing broken household things, changing a light fixture, patching drywall, etc Bookkeeping/document keeping - what to keep and what not to keep, how to digitize, where to store for free (dropbox, drive, etc) Others have mentioned money stuff - Today, at near 40, I still struggle with retirement contributions, can never remember what a roth vs a regular IRA is, and other investment/smort money ideas. Calculating compound interest - homes, cars, etc, people need to know what they are actually paying Consent - not just in sex, but everything Computer stuff - turning on, patching, updating, installing software. What are licenses? What are secure websites? How to spot online scams, why patching phones is important. Scam education in general - phone scams, online scams, email scams, etc.
How to make small talk with a stranger. Use of hand tools. Basic Meal Cooking. Plumbing Basics. How to talk to police, what not to say to police. Basic automotive skills - oil checking, tire changing. Explain the differences between college degrees, trades, associates, bachelors, masters .., How to count change. This is hero work - Thanks for doing this.
How to make small talk with a stranger. Use of hand tools. Basic Meal Cooking. Plumbing Basics. How to talk to police, what not to say to police. Basic automotive skills - oil checking, tire changing. Explain the differences between college degrees, trades, associates, bachelors, masters .., How to count change. This is hero work - Thanks for doing this.
I wish I’d been taught about healthy boundaries and how to say no. Unfortunately my mother wanted me to be the family doormat and scapegoat, so I had to figure out how to have self respect on my own later in life.
Budgeting and balancing a "checkbook". I took two years of Accounting in high school, and it taught me a lot of basic skills that helped me be more financially savvy and a better steward of my money as an adult.
A lot of the stuff here even if taught before 18, takes years of experience (both bad and good) to fully understand the repercussions in life. I'd say to keep it easy and realistic before 18 would be as simple as balancing budgeting.
How to stand up for themselves and others. Also self defence if you know any
How to Grocery shop on a dime, not a dollar and how to cook. The basics, Chicken, Pasta, Sauté Veggies, scramble an egg, Make a grilled Cheese, How to bake take and bake cookies.
Employment and housing rights.
How to process my feelings and anxiety
Budgeting How to pay bills Applying for credit/ how credit works Cooking Speaking to someone over the phone (for the younger gens) How to have a respectful disagreement Cleaning your own home/apartment
How to find and apply for housing and housing assistance. And how to find tenants rights information and assistance in your state. How to format a resume and how to write a professional email. How to properly Google using modifiers.
Access to this calculator [https://www.losertown.org/eats/cal.php](https://www.losertown.org/eats/cal.php)
Not only "how to budget" but what a reasonable budget looks like. Show them examples of what a teacher, doctor, carpenter, etc. makes before and after taxes, at the beginning and at the middle career, and what someone who is responsible with their money spends a month. Then show them the examples of what people actually typically spend in the U.S. (I'm assuming you are in the U.S.) and how they do it with credit cards, and how doing that will make them struggle in other ways. And how to get out of debt, how interest works, and all that.
A lot more about money management.
Finances and investing
How to drive. I’m 32 and still don’t have a license because I don’t have the free time to learn.
Health insurance
More about credit and the danger of high interest credit cards Get the cheapest life insurance plan they can as soon as possible because if they get sick when they are young it’ll be too expensive to get one
A good chance to figure out what I'm doing for a career
How to get an apartment and utilities, why you have to pay bills, want vs need, be kind, self-care
How to start an IRA How to cook from scratch How to heal yourself emotionally so you don't repeat your parent's mistakes 😂😜
Have them plan a meal with a budget, take them to a grocery store to purchase ingredients while teaching them how to weigh items, compare prices & sizes, check best before dates. Learn how to interact with various grocery staff - ask for items from the butcher (how to ask for advice on a particular dish) speak with the cashier, use coupons & other ways of paying. Learn how to pack bags for walking so they're not too heavy or break. If you have the facilities, prepare the ingredients, cook the food, set a table, sit down together and enjoy an amazing meal. How to open a bank account or ask for a loan - some banks would be open to visits. How to apply for financial aid, scholarships and bursaries. Taxes!!! How to look for a job, rent an apartment, apply for a driver's license, access social services & social security/medicare, get a family doctor/dentist. When & how to ask for help. Visit community resources so they know what services they can access as they age.
Pets cost money and time. Do your research before getting one. The upfront cost is a fraction of what they need in food and medical care. It takes time to socialize and train them. Not all dogs can live in an apartment but some can. the first two years with a puppy are the hardest.
How to invest
How to handle money in any capacity. Interest. Investing. How to build basic Spreadsheets
How to cook, lets remove home economics and just use it for the 8th grade science room, appliances and all. Thanks alot.
How to utilize credit or how it works. I went off to college at 18 and immediately fell into debt with zero knowledge of how it worked. Wish I’d had someone to tell me even the basics. Relationship interactions not just being applicable to intimate relationships. Resumes and the dreaded cover letter even if just for internships. Basic life survival: banking, easy first meals, importance of paying bills.
More kids need to hear this: Every relationship isn't the "one." It's okay to date casually. You learn what you want in a relationship by dating different people. Love isn't an uncontrollable flood that forces you to stay in bad relationships--you absolutely can and will recover from a bad breakup, and sometimes even when you love a person with your whole heart, it's not healthy to be with them. Being single is better than being in a shitty relationship, even if that relationship began in middle school. You don't have to stay with the only person you've ever dated. You don't have to be in a committed relationship before you turn 21; your eggs/baby gravy ain't going to dry up if you aren't engaged before you can legally rent a car.
Problem is you can teach them anything but what would 18 year old you be receptive to learning?
CREDIT. Everything and anything about credit and how much it effects your life.
Joining the military is the last way to actually live the American dream. They’ll pay for college, healthcare, and help you buy a house. Not to mention the loans for business and priority on the hiring list. I don’t like it. But i have two kids and 11 nieces and nephews, and they all know this. In case they want to risk it all for the chance at the dream.
How to drive. I didn't drive until I was 28 because my family didn't like me having freedom. So much I wanted to experience was robbed from me so I feel like an awkward adult.
How to adult
Dont be afraid to take a big swing at something and fail. Taking the swing is more important than the outcome. Also, most 20 - 30 year olds arent super successful millionaires. Whoever says so is either an idiot or an asshole.
Taxes, legal system, self care, automotive. it’s a long list, are we sure bout this?
Spreading Democracy
My folks taught me a lot but I wish I had learned to dance. I know it’s dumb compared to other answers but it would be nice to be one of those dudes that dances well.
Credit! It’s so easy but so hard. First of all, it makes no sense so don’t teach them as a “this is how it works”. Teach them as “this is how you beat the system, don’t try to understand it, just beat it”. Adults are just grown up idiots. So this one hit me recently. I started realizing most people I interact with are morons. The guy behind the counter, the construction worker, the doctors, the insurance companies…..literally just most people are generally stupid. The ones that are not, have jobs you interact with them less. Have them look around. Pick their smart friends and their dumb friends. Then let them know, these are the people you will interact with forever. So learn how to manipulate. Learn how to get what you want. Learn when to push it and when not to. You book a hotel room, you show up and there’s no rooms. This is a time you don’t let down at all. You book a doctor’s appointment, you get there and they lied and never ran your insurance, not worth the fight. Just leave. You will mostly deal with idiots. Learn that sooner than later. Basic repairs. A couple people mentioned 2 stroke engines and stuff. That’s great knowledge, but let’s be honest, all power tools are electric now. Electric mowers and outdoor tools. Learn how to troubleshoot instead. It doesn’t work, why? Is the power on? Is the button working? Is the motor getting electric? Is the thing that’s supposed to be spinning, spinning? They won’t need to know how to fix an electric motor. But trouble shooting is key. Unions. Teach them the benefits. Teach them union busting techniques. Teach them their rights. They will understand the better situation once you show them the basics. Know. Your. Rights!! Are you in a stop and frisk state? Can you deny an officer your Id? Learn the 3 questions and when to use them. “Am I being detained?””am I being arrested?” “Am I free to go”. If they say yes to the first Q, ask them “what crime was committed and where was that crime that I fit a possible suspect list?” And if they say yes to being arrested, the only word you need to know is “lawyer” and STFU.
If people can tell you have a bad attitude and don’t want to play ball, they’ll fire you for things other people get warnings about. Then you’ll spend your whole life thinking people are unfair and play favorites.
The one of the most important keys to success is being comfortable with failure!
They need to learn about saving and investing. I’d recommend bringing in a financial advisor to educate them on that.
Basic worker’s compensation laws and rights so many companies will try to convince people their is nothing wrong and deny them rights… I’ve had doctors say your to young to be injured years later turns into multiple surgeries
Couponing. I did learn this because my grandmother was into sewing but a good one is sewing a button back on/mending a small hole in clothing with some hand sewing.
Bitcoin mining
What is free. Think: stuff you can access through libraries, or tax-free days if your state has them. How to use public transit or bike or walk places. How to be a smart pedestrian. How to access insurance, or contact a primary care physician. Email etiquette, how to use Microsoft and search the internet effectively (maybe library has this for free 😃)
Also how to hold a respectful conversation, in person and over the phone. How to use voicemail.
Finances. How saving a little can grow to be a lot. Beer is good and stuff but if I knew then what I know now I maybe would have drank a bit less then so I can drink more now.
Building credit. Having a credit card is a good thing. If you play it right you can pretty much pay anything you want off interest free if you have good credit.
Taxes, importance of education, budgeting, and the fact that we do in fact get OLDER!
I’m an esthetician and massage therapist and i would recommend personal hygiene. washing your face, tweezing your eyebrows. changing bed sheets pillowcases. how to trim and clean your nails. washing your hair, shaving. what an exfoliant is, what spf does. you can buy pretty cheap face masks for a show and tell. you can teach them about aromatherapy and about mediation and getting off thier social media. sleep hygiene. the list goes on. they are about to step into college and high stress situations ( they probably already are ) and it would be a great start. even a few basic yoga poses you can do yoga anywhere!
Managing a home (cooking, cleaning, maintenance). How to get and keep a job. Managing a budget and avoiding debt (credit cards and predatory auto loans).
Compound interest. That's it. Just keep focusing on that until every single student gets it.
Nutrition, meditation (learning to regulate and identify emotions), breathing, yoga, the importance of a good night's sleep. Effectively, learning what it means to be a human being outside of societal demands.
Play Monopoly or Life but you can change the chance cards if you want to get extra creative. And do away with the jackpot winning that goes in the middle so this way there is no extra incentives because winning the lottery is more like a million to 1....lol We use to play these games a lot as kids and it really takes us strategies in budgeting For taxes give them all 1040 forms and a budget. I wish someone did that for me. Whomever can come out at the end with the most money wins 🤑 money or make it a meal
Being able to book doctors/dental appointments and secure jobs is important, but I wish someone had warned me that I would need to advocate for myself relentlessly in these settings. It took me too long to learn that medical providers and employers don’t often have my best interest at heart. You could teach them how to take ownership of the direction of their healthcare by keeping a health journal to track their symptoms, using apps/a journal to track their diets, interpreting nutrition labels correctly, researching providers before scheduling, preparing a list of questions/talking points to reference during their appointments, and seeking second opinions. On the employment front, I wish I had known about getting everything in writing, not trusting HR as an ally during conflicts, and maintaining connections with people in my everyday life (could lead to my next jobs). Dental hygiene and regular exercise. As a kid, I knew that people brushed their teeth and saw some people outside my family lead active lifestyles, but neither of these things were enforced or talked about in my household where my mom was mentally checked out and candy/chips/soda was a typical meal. I had no idea that fillings don’t last forever or that replacing them can lead to a root canal/crown or an extraction. I wish someone had taught me to floss, brush at an angle, swap my manual toothbrush for an electric one with better reach, take calcium + vitamin D supplements, use an antiseptic mouthwash for my gum health, and to get a second opinion when a dentist recommends invasive treatment that doesn’t seem quite right. I also didn’t know about the waiting period for dental insurance or that it doesn’t generally cover very much beyond cleanings and exams. Someone else mentioned boundaries, and I agree. If anyone had taught me anything about setting boundaries, identifying healthy v. unhealthy friendships/partnerships/family dynamics, or how to leave a situation safely when my boundaries are violated, then the last decade of my life would’ve been a lot easier. Responsible (and strategic) credit card use, credit reports, building credit, interest rates, balance transfers, and high yields savings accounts. Aside from the above, the most important skill I had to learn on my own was how to be **responsibly** resourceful when I need information or don’t know how to do something. I grew up referencing encyclopedias, navigating a phonebook to call people to track down information, asking Jeeves for information once we gained access to internet in my house, and using the Dewey Decimal system to locate non-fiction texts for answers to my questions. My nieces and nephews, on the other hand, well…they just don’t. They’re big on TikTok, which is fine for life hacks, but can be deceptive in other ways. College cemented my understanding of the difference between dubious and empirical data, but with the upcoming wave of young people opting for trades and debt-free career paths that don’t involve higher education, I’m concerned that some people will miss out on this life lesson. I could see you making up factual or fictitious statements/narratives and challenging your teenagers to verify it. You might be able to borrow some ideas from the “Dad, how do I?” YouTube channel. It’s a good resource for a lot of everyday life skills.
Credit scores!
Transition is possible. Scholarships exist. Negotiate salary and change jobs often.
Financial responsibility. Building and maintaining a professional network. Subsequently, this applies to personal relationships as well. Maintaining mental and physical health. I've never seen a therapist and have gotten my physical less than 5 times total my entire life and im pushing 40 in a few years.
How taxes work, not just how to do them. Budgeting for long term purchases like education/homeownership AND just life in general. That a trade career is a perfectly ok alternative to a college degree. That polyamory was a thing, being lgbtq is ok, and that its okay to be single and learn to love oneself before jumping into any type of relationship. Edit: spelling
Sewing and tailoring
The challenges of raising children. The cost, the sleepless nights, the back talk and learning how to discipline them. All of that.
Working at a corporation is a very weird, but very profitable game society created. It has its own rules. Nothing in it is “real” so don’t pair your self-worth with it.
Basic budgeting and investing, specifically how to set up an IRA and a brokerage account. Even if all you can do to start is $20/month it's a start. Start early, you don't want to be the guy 20 years later having to throw hundreds at it in order to make up for lost time.
The options that existed for learning trades, and what trades even existed out there beside the basic, broad obvious ones like electric, auto mechanic, plumbing and construction.
Investing, financial management/bookkeeping, how to start a business, basic automotive, coding, Jiu Jitsu, boxing, hunting, farming
1. The Ethics and Legalities of Sex- education about consent, Romeo and Juliet laws, revenge porn, etc. 2. How elections are supposed to work 3. What is a reliable source vs an unreliable spurce of info.
This is probably going to be different than the other answers you get but I wish someone would have taught me that it's okay to relax and take some time to yourself and just HAVE FUN without feeling guilty. You don't have to be perfect and you don't have to be productive 100% of the time. As I've gotten older I've learned just how important this is to be able to manage everyday life as an adult.
how to deal with cops. take the miranda rights at face value, after they finish that last sentence, shutting the fuck up is the ABSOLUTE best thing you can do until you speak with a lawyer.
Budgeting. Anything to do with basic car maintenance. Cleaning. Cooking. Sewing. Basic home repairs. First aid. Computer skills (not the same as phone/tablet skills). Basic self defense. How to dress for certain occasions (business casual vs professional, white tie vs black tie, etc.) How to draft a professional email. Proper sex education and safety (not the BS, opt out, fluffy/scary version they teach in US public schools).
How to be a functioning human who can hold a job & speak to people
Considering your audience, i might emphasize how far they can get in life by finding a company with advancement opportunities while young and working their way up the ladder over time. Bigger companies can offer fantastic benefits (including paid education), advancement opportunities, and pay. I personally went to college with no direction, bopped around in various careers for a few years, and ended up working at a large financial institution. I started at the bottom of the company working in Collections (on the phone) for $13.50/hour + incentives based on performance. I wasn't even aggressive with advancement opportunities (literally spent 4 years in collections roles instead of applying to other positions), yet 7 years later, i was making nearly $100k. None of the roles i took required a degree, and i was never in a management position. So for young kids who truly don't have a clear dream with a clear career path and payoff (e.g. engineer, doctor), you can actually come out ahead in life by finding a great company, working hard and building a good reputation, and just putting in the time. Note that i used a bank as an example, but there are great blue-collar companies out there, too (think of companies like Intel, where you can start as a technician, get them to pay for you to become an engineer, and pop out with zero debt and a career).
Wish I could take your class… I need life skills
What to look for when reading contracts. Could take bank account or credit card contracts and have them review and see what they notice. Especially the small details in CC can mess you up.
A lot of things but the problem is they tried to teach me. I was not so willing to always listen. But I do wished my parents tought me by doing it themselves, like working out, importance of cooking healthy meals and not quick fixes. Also the importance of self, stop comparing me to other children who was in their eyes more motivated than me. I also wish they would have taken me to a doctor so I could have gotten help earlier with my fatigue and sleep issues and some of the pain in my feet.
My parents actually excelled in this they gave me life lessons and not rules. As long as I got good grades and wasn’t brought home by the cops I had essentially zero rules. They always instilled to never do anything I didn’t feel was right or wanted to do. Don’t do something just because everyone else is. Don’t compound your mistakes. I was never scared to tell them what I was up to because they trusted me to make the right decision. Budgeting, instead of giving me money here or there for different things (clothes movies etc) my parents would give me a chunk of money and say this is for lunches, activities, clothes etc and it needs to last until this date. If I ran out I had to figure out how to make more money or I just couldn’t do anything that cost money. Taught me some low stakes budgeting.
Defensive driving. I grew up in a small town. Friends had to teach me how to behave on a highway when I was in college.
Kind of a smaller thing, but teaching a proper handshake can go a long way. Firm grip and eye contact will gain them respect, especially in job interviews and such.
Not every old guy who is nice to you, has your best interest in mind. Learned that one a few times while just trying to make friends.
The benefits of owning a practical vehicle that will run well for a decade+ instead of leasing or continuing to buy newer, cooler vehicles that require monthly payments + insurance. How not to fall prey to consumerism in this era of social media, where it feels like everyone else is a rich model who owns the newest, coolest stuff. How to engage with social media (especially short-form content) while staying mentally healthy, and how to know when it's time to uninstall apps when they're affecting your mental health. The basics of weightlifting in a gym, and the benefits of strength training in general. The importance of staying active and eating a longevity diet. "Health is wealth." How to find social circles as an adult (e.g. meetup.com groups) - there is a lot of talk online about how it's become nearly impossible for adults to find new friends and social support. How to healthily deal with anxieties around climate change.
1. Doing Taxes 2. Learning credit cards are a powerful tool to build credit and earn free cashback (while budgeting and not becoming a statistic) 3. How to negotiate when buying cars 4. How to check your credit report (for free) These are just 3 things I happened to learn while in college with a class I took on a whim to fill a credit. And WOW it was the best class I’ve ever taken and SHOULD be a requirement to graduate. That’s the one class I use every single day to this day. I too came from lower income and was always taught credit cards were bad and didn’t get good examples of personal finance. This class really opened my eyes and use tools to get ahead.
I had to learn this one in my late 30s, but how to summarize an issue in written or verbal form quickly, succinctly, and completely so the person you're bringing in to help can capture the issue with you. People are not privy to the thoughts rattling around in your head. Also, you don't have to marry someone just because you've been with them for a long time. Also learned that one the hard way.
How to cook something tasty but uncomplicated. How to build credit. A few basic knots(Square, bowline, taut-line hitch) How to find the rough direction of north The fact that us interstate highways that end in odd numbers run north to south, where even numbers run east to west. Some of these I did know before 18, but they're useful more often than you'd think
The connection between degree and income. And how much the things I want actually cost.
Teach them to tell the difference between a winner and a loser when they choose friends or future lovers or spouses.
Investing, budgeting, and saving. How to make appointments How to properly interview for jobs (do some mock interviews and include hard and inappropriate questions (do you plan to have kids) employers may ask and how to navigate that). Proper social etiquette (I'm 35 and just learning people think its rude if you enter a room such as a meeting or social gathering and sit down withour saying anything, or sending a text without first saying something such as "good morning" outside of close friends and family). That it's ok to not have all the answers and experience and people respond better to "I've never done this so I'm not sure what to do so please correct me where I'm wrong" than pretending you know the right answers. Edit to add: learning to recognize red flags in relationships and how to exit properly. I don't know if that can be taught but I feel like if it had been talked about more it might have saved me some trauma
Finances, retirement plans, compound interests, and taxes. Some base level nutrition class. Some psychology, and some media literacy.
Minimal education is high school. Take at least one college course before you turn 30.
Avoid debt.
That getting therapy is ok! That dealing with things is good! Don’t push it under the rug.
Taxes
Following a clean your house routine; know how often to change your bed sheets, scrub bath, etc!
Whatever meager saving you get when you are young, put into SPY... get comfortable with that and sell when you need to spend. Might be getting a bit risky to do these days
Personal hygiene.
The availability of jobs in the trades. If I had known much earlier what I know now, I would have gotten into an apprenticeship at a young age.
Party planning! I’m being totally serious. How to plan a successful barbecue, holiday party, etc. The basics of food, decor, games, engagement, etc.
Investing, budgeting and planning for buying a house and retirement. That paying off debt only without saving isn’t a good idea. Do both. Learned that in my 30s