Classes aim to help kids prep for ‘adulting’

Too many entering adulthood without knowing basics, like how to do laundry

Entering the world of adulthood isn’t easy. Teens transition from living at home and going to high school to suddenly, being on their own. For some, that might mean college or trade school, for others, it means joining the workforce.

Regardless of which path that teen takes, there is a transition – and suddenly, said teen has to know how to survive on his own. That requires certain skills that some teens simply don’t acquire, such as changing a tire or unclogging a drain.

Lumpkin County High School is aware of this, and now, the Georgia school is taking steps to remedy it.

The school is now holding “Adulting Day” for its senior class, “a new rite of passage for a generation that reportedly lacks the daily life skills that earlier generations learned at home,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

Among the lessons are using plumber’s putty to seal a sink fixture, checking fluid levels on a car, changing a tire, jump-starting a battery, how to mince garlic, and how to eject food lodged in a choking baby’s throat. There are five basic work stations at the school: clothing care, home maintenance, cooking, automobile care and first aid, the AJC reports. This school isn’t alone in this endeavor. A Kentucky high school is running a similar program, focusing on topics like the basics of checking and savings accounts, dorm-room cooking, how to interact with the police, how to write a resume and cover letter, and when to see your regular doctor vs. heading to the ER, the Today Show reports.

When teens leave the nest, one would hope they are armed with certain life skills, like how to scramble eggs, how to do their own laundry, wash the dishes, etc.

But sometimes, those lessons get lost in the parenting shuffle, whether it’s due to helicopter parents who handle all the details, or because parents are simply too busy, or because kids aren’t paying attention.

Those life skills are critical ones. One needs to know how to clean up and maintain a home, how to take care of the car, how to do finances, basic first aid, etc.

Classes such as “Adulting Day” help fill in those gaps, and prepare students for the world after high school.

But, parents, don’t rely on school to do it. Make sure your child is equipped with these skills. It helps them become better adults, and in the short term, helps you by moving some of the chores off your list and on to theirs. And who can argue with that?