life skills | VIVIAN KIRKFIELD – Writer for Children

“The friendship that can cease has never been real.” –St. Jerome

How long have you known your best friend?

“My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.” –Henry Ford

I’ve know my best friend for 62 years. We lived in the same apartment house when we were toddlers and, although she moved “across the water” from New York City to New Jersey when we were in the second grade, we have continued that special friendship through snail mail, phone conversations, email and occasional visits.

“It is not so much our friend’s help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help.” – Epicurus, Greek philosopher

“Without friends, no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.” – Aristotle

“The bird a nest… the spider a web…. man friendship.” – William Blake

The above three quotations give us a good idea of why we even need friends. They are our support in times of trouble and our companions in times of joy.

“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.” –Woodrow Wilson

With the recent tragic events in Japan, there has been an outpouring of news coverage and blog posts expressing concern and offering help to those affected. I’ve been struck by how easily and quickly people can become friends during times of disaster…and equally amazed at how many of those friendships hold fast long after the tragedy happened.

Being a good friend does not always come naturally. It is a skill that can be learned and it is an important one to teach young children.

So what advice would I give parents regarding teaching young children about friendship?

The following three quotations contain advice from wiser minds than mine.

“Never injure a friend, even in jest.” – Cicero

“Friendship with oneself is all important because without it, one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” – Mother Teresa

Please stop by tomorrow for WHAT’S IN YOUR CHILD’S BOOKCASE WORDY WEDNESDAY. I’ll be reviewing one of the 100 recommended titles in my book that highlights friendship. If you visit my website, you can take advantage of the half-price sale AND enter to win a FREE Crafty Easter Basket, filled with craft supplies for your preschooler.

I noticed an article on MSN’s home page about skills teenagers should master as they approach the age when they will leave home to go away to school or out on their own to work. I think it is a big mistake to wait till our children are teenagers to teach them these important life skills. Except for car maintenance, every single skill can and should be introduced and taught to our preschoolers. I think back to my own childhood and am saddened to realize that my mother did not expect me or my sister to help clean the house (although she did suggest it once or twice) and we were not taught to balance a checkbook or keep to a budget. She cooked all of the meals and did not teach us to cook, plan menus or shop for ingredients.

What are those life skills that every child should begin to master at an early age?

CLEANING THE HOUSE: show your child what to do and let him help…of course, if you are using toxic cleansers, perhaps you can switch to more eco-friendly (and child-friendly) green cleaning solutions. Check out one of my earlier posts for some simple suggestions.
DOING THE LAUNDRY: even a toddler can help sort items for the laundry…darks and lights for example…putting dirty clothes in the hamper…folding towels…matching socks…what great opportunities for science and math experiences!
COOKING: little ones LOVE to help in the kitchen…measuring, mixing, learning about what ingredients go into making various meals and accompanying you to the store to discover that green bananas should be yellow with spots if we want them to taste sweet and what a ripe melon smells like.
MANAGING MONEY: every young child should have a piggy bank where allowances (if your family does that) and money earned or received as gifts are kept…it’s easy for kids to “want” everything…but life is about making choices and that is a part of money management that little ones can be taught…if Johnny wants something that costs $1.00 and he only has 50 cents in his piggy bank, he will have to “earn” the rest or wait until he has enough by saving allowance or gift money. Older children should learn to balance a checkbook!
MAKING APPOINTMENTS AND MANAGING A DAILY SCHEDULE: you can make a chart that shows the daily schedule…breakfast time, lunch time, doctor’s appt, playdate, bedtime…use pictures cut from magazines to help your child identify what is happening during the day…young children feel less stressed when they know what to expect and what is expected from them…for children who have trouble settling down and getting ready for bed, this might be a life-saver!

So, don’t wait to start teaching your child these important life skills…begin when he is a preschooler and life may be much smoother in your home as your child grows up. He or she will definitely thank you…self-sufficiency and mastering tasks and skills are cornerstones in the foundation of high self-esteem.