Guest Posting: Reading, Writing, Responsibility! Preparing Kids For The Real World

Guest Posting: Reading, Writing, Responsibility!
Preparing Kids For The Real World

Since I have children of working age I have noticed that there is somewhat of an epidemic with young people these days. Many of them do not seem to want to work and if they do they do, they don’t know how to stay employed. I have one child who is gainfully employed and another, seven years younger, who falls into this category.

I think, at least in our case, it might be because the youngest tends to be babied, especially with a much older sibling. But that doesn’t change a very sobering reality; good jobs are getting harder to come by and our kids need to not only know how to get them but how to keep them too.

So how do we do that? Here are 5 tips.

BE RESPONSIBLE

Creative Commons/US Department of Labor

Responsibility starts with self-discipline. Discipline is not a bad thing, it helps us when we start out on our own, it helps us keep jobs, it helps us to be good citizens. If we do not discipline our children then someone will and it will be even harder on your children. Their employers will reprimand them or fire them, they will not be able to have solid relationships with other people, or worse case scenario the police, judges, or governing authorities will step up to the plate where we fail our children.

COMMUNICATE INTELLIGENTLY

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We need to teach our children how to communicate with others intelligently. They can not get a good job without good communication skills. That means answering the phone coherently and with manners or the door when someone comes to visit. Being able to talk to adults, the elderly, or even younger children with kindness and care. Make sure your children know how to read and write effectively. These are all qualities that employers are looking for when they hire.

HANDLE MONEY WELL

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They need to know how to handle money, how to make change without the use of a machine. Being responsible with their credit is also a good tip for being employable since some employers use that information as a verification step.

STAY TIDY

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Prepare them to be able to clean up after themselves, take care of their laundry, cook for themselves, and take pride in the place they live and how they look. I know many of you have noticed how young people are dressing today, not all young people, but many. The pants hanging below their underwear or even their rear end! The sloppiness, the sexual dress by the girls, the tattoos, and the piercings are all out of control. They may love tattoos and piercings, and I am not saying it is all wrong, but too much body art or ink may make children unemployable.

HAVE RESPECT

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Just basic respect is missing in a lot of our young people today. Respect for others, those that are different, those that are richer or poorer, for the elderly, and the list goes on. We need to instill in our children a respect for all people. If someone does something to them that is disrespectful then they need to learn to dust it off and move on, but not to resent a whole race, class, or religious affiliation.

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In short in order to prepare our children for their jobs in the future we need to teach them these basic skills now. If we as parents do not teach our children these skills then they will have to learn the hard way or become one of the unemployable people that are so numerous today.