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What Do I Really Have To Teach Them?  (Part 3)

As the kids age, they have a full range of new experiences and they sometimes aren't as prepared as they think that they might be.  You move beyond the shoe-tying and get into other life experiences.  What are some of the more recent things that I - and my wife - have to teach the kids?

• Using a power jig saw for cutting plywood.
• Pulling a minivan into a space between two vehicles.
• Catching behind home plate before the first pitching in the next game.
• Reading a contract in its entirety.
• Driving a nail straight while building a bird house.
• Plunging a clogged toilet.
• Removing the spark plug cover before turning over the lawn mower.
• Fixing bent bike handlebars and a broken caliper brake.
• Putting air in bike tires and adjusting a bike seat.
• Changing the sheets on a bed.
• Cleaning a bathroom and scrubbing a toilet.
• Practicing for a four minute school presentation the next day.
• Monitoring deadlines for school activities and projects.
• Estimating costs and laying out the steps for a summer fishpond project.
• Countersinking screws for a kayak project.
• Discussing plans and activities for managing a group of younger children.
• Apologizing for careless or thoughtless remarks.

The point is that kids aren't going to automatically figure things out by themselves and you can't assume that they just "get it."  Not to mention that power tools can be coldly unforgiving.

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