As a parent who is in the throws of sending my teens out into adulthood (I have one already there, one just out of college working to get out there, and a senior in high school), I can tell you with certainty there are key life skills every teen should know as they move into adulthood.

{I received free access to Life Skills Reimagined and was compensated for my time in writing this review.  All views are my own and I was not required to write a positive review. Please see my full Disclosure Policy for more details.}

Hands-On Life Skills Every Teen Should Know

Years ago I created a series of articles called, Life Skills as High School Electives: Home Economics and Shop Class. These consist of hands on, every day tasks and skills your teens will need to maintain a home (or apartment) when they move out into the world.

This includes things like:

• stocking a kitchen and pantry
• essential household repair took kit
• cooking basics
• laundry and clothing tips
• and so much more!

Beyond all of these hands on skills, there are loads of other practical skills and knowledge our teens need to be equipped with to head out into the world.

Life Skills Every Teen Should Know

1. Communication Skills

While good communication skills are important even before adulthood, many children do not acquire these skills readily or easily, especially in the age of technology we live in. This is a skill I focus on at home from young ages with my children. Encouraging and teaching them through life and age appropriate things like how to order food at a restaurant, how to engage with the librarian and get assistance at the library, and working to resolve conflicts with friends.

Teaching effective communication skills can include things like how to manage negative emotions, working through conflict, and having difficult conversations.

2. Getting & Keeping a Job

Getting a job is a skill that has vastly change since the times when I first entered the workforce! Now most things are done digitally through sites Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and Monster. When my son was applying for his first job, even places like Wendy’s had online applications. What we found is that not only do you have to put yourself out there digitally, but you have to personally follow up with these applications. While many things have changed, personal contact and taking initiative still count in today’s workforce!

You teen will need to know what the basic work rules are. That would include things like

• dressing appropriately for the job
• being on time
• treating people with respect
• using their electronics appropriately at work

3. Independent Living

We have one child that is already successfully living outside our home, and has done so since she was 18. We have our middle child who just graduated from college and started working in his degree field, living at home, and working towards being able to live independently. Even though I know it always happens, I always have to chuckle when they start buying more things for themselves and can’t get over the cost!

For instance, the other night my son came home from a trip to Wal-Mart where he picked up some deodorant for himself. It was a “fancier” one that we would normally purchase. He comes in the door and says, “I bought this deodorant for myself. It was like $10!!!!!” Welcome to the real world buddy, welcome to the real world.

Some of the things we talk about in our house are about budgeting, and what he’ll need to be budgeting for to live on his own. He has recently experienced his sister and her husband moving which has helped to give him a first hand look at what is entailed in moving.

4. Personal Finance

Personal finance is something we really begin talking about more in-depth when our kids are 14 ish. By 16 they can have their own checking/savings with a debit card so that is something we do as soon as they turn 16. This opens up conversations about saving, preparing to buy a car, insurance, apartments, and so much more. I have found through the years that they take in the information so much better when there are real money at stake and real goals in play.

Life Skills Reimagined

Now some of you might by thinking, “How am I going to know if I covered everything? What if I miss something? Or am unsure how to go about teaching something?” This is where some outside help and guidance can be invaluable. So today I’d like to share with you about a program we have been using called Life Skills Reimagined.

Life Skills Reimagined from LYFT Learning is an online curriculum that walks teen through essential life skills they’ll need moving forward into adulthood. With about 65 hours of content (Courses, worksheets, workbooks, discussions) it makes for a perfect .5 credit elective course for your teens! This course covers the life skills I mentioned above, and so much more in great detail.

The Topics Covered Are:

• Communication Skills
• Getting & Keeping a Job
• Independent Living
• Personal Finance
• Resiliency (includes things like understanding your life story, setting personal boundaries, and exploring your family resources)

A Look Inside Life Skills Reimagined

I put together this brief video walk through of Life Skills Reimagined so you could get a better feel for the work flow, how the video lesson look and sound, and check out all the included content.

A Few Key Things I Love About Life Skills Reimagined

1. Life Skills Reimagined is intended to be an independent learning experience for your teens.

The entire course is online and set up in such a way that your teens will know exactly what is expected of them, and how far along they are. All the courses and sessions are tracked on the dashboard so they can easily follow along.

2. Opportunity to put learned ideas into play in their own lives.

Another one of the things I really love about this course it that it doesn’t just teach, it aims to help your teens put what is taught into practice in their own lives. Each section of the course includes a printable action plan with questions for teens to answer. This is a great tool not only for them, but for you to be able to see what they are learning and how they are applying it to their own life scenarios.

3. You don’t have to worry about missing things!

Life Skills Reimagined takes the guess work out of teaching these key life skills. Since they have it all laid out by life skill, and broken down into small tasks under each life skill, you don’t have to worry about missing anything!

For instance, in the Personal Finance section, they don’t just cover budgeting. They include things like comparison shopping for groceries, using credit wisely, and insurance basics.

4. There is a mobile app

Life Skills Reimagined has a mobile app! That means your teen and do it anywhere (like on their favorite couch), or on the go!

It even allows your teen to download content and watch it offline! Which means even if they are somewhere without Internet for a bit, they can still be working through this course.

Get Life Skill Reimagined for Your Teens!

Are you ready to get your teens started? You can head over to Life Skills Reimagined and the code HS2022 to save $20 off a new membership through December 31, 2022.