With so much focus on exams and statistics, are schools sometimes neglecting other parts of a child’s development that are important in later life. When they go out into the world and start looking for jobs, they are going to be going up against hundreds of other applicants with exactly the same qualifications. They aren’t going to get the job because of their grades alone, it will be their personality and experiences that will help them set themselves apart from the crowd.

This is one of many reasons why it is vital that we teach our children life skills, and give them the experiences that they need to make them a well-rounded person before you send them out on their own. If you’re worried about the downfalls in their schooling, make sure that you do these things.

Teach Them Conflict Resolution

Being able to resolve conflict effectively is something that employers love in an applicant. Your first opportunities to teach them how to calmly resolve conflicts without escalating them will probably come when they first go to school. At some point, they’re going to have an argument with another child, and the way that you deal with it will shape their attitudes for life. You’ll need to get together with both children and the parents and talk it out. If you don’t control your emotions properly and you act aggressively towards the other parents, your child is going to think that this is the best way to deal with problems. If they do this in later life, in the workplace, they’re likely to find themselves in a lot of trouble. However, if they see you calmly discussing with the parents, admitting that both children were at fault, and coming to an amicable resolution, you’re setting a far better example.

Travel

Travel broadens the mind. It’s a bit of an old cliche, but it’s true. Traveling when they’re young will help them to gain a better understanding of the world and the ways that different cultures live. This is vital because it helps to build tolerance and understanding. That means that in later life, they’ll be better equipped to communicate with people from all walks of life which is a good skill to have in the workplace. If they come home with a letter asking about school trips, you’re probably going to be thinking, how much is this going to cost me? It’s a valid concern, but you should try to find the money any way that you can, the valuable experience that your children will get is worth the investment. Traveling also helps them to gain a bit of perspective about the world. If they visit countries where people are less fortunate than they are, they will understand how lucky they are to have all of the things that you provide them with.

Encourage Reading

Reading is a big part of the school curriculum but it isn’t always handled in the right way. Trying to get a bunch of fifteen year old’s to discuss the merits of Shakespeare can be pretty difficult, and it often turns them off reading. When they are forced to study books that they don’t particularly like, or relate to, it can put them off and there are increasing numbers of adults that never continue to read after they’ve left school. This is such a shame because there is so much to be learned from reading. Try to keep a good range of books in the house and encourage them to find something that they enjoy reading. Hopefully, they’ll carry on the habit into their adult life, so they’re always learning and improving their skills.

Let Them Be Themselves

One of the biggest worries that parents have is shy children. They have fears about their social skills in later life and worry that it will be a hurdle. While it is important to help them come out of their shell a bit, don’t push too hard. The truth is, some kids are just a bit shy, it’s their personality and you won’t be able to change it. If you push too hard, you’ll make them feel like their personality is wrong in some way, and that will make them far less confident. That’s going to be a lot more damaging than being a little shy sometimes. You should try to encourage them to engage in more social activities but if they don’t want to, don’t force them.

Promote Exercise

Just recently, the importance of exercise has been in the news again. Doctors all attest to the benefits but admit that they don’t push it enough. The same can be said of schools. There are compulsory sports at school but not every single day. The benefits of exercise are so massive that everybody should be getting some every day. Childhood obesity is a growing problem but it could be tackled if everybody encouraged good exercise habits in their children from a young age. Mental health problems in children is another big worry for parents at the minute. Research suggests that regular exercise is one of the most effective ways to combat low feelings that could lead to serious mental health problems. Beyond that, it gives them more energy and motivation and can fight off disease in the future. Exercising with your kids is also a great way to spend some time together, and encourage them to take up hobbies. Having a lot of interests outside work, including sports, is something that employers love to see on an application.

Don’t Shout

It can be difficult to keep calm when you’re faced with a stubborn teenager that just won’t listen to you. But shouting at them is only going to make things worse. Studies have shown it will only make them act out more. It also sets a bad example for them and teaches them that shouting is the best way to get your point across. If they carry this behaviour over into the workplace when they’re discussing things with co-workers, they won’t do well.  

Set your kids up with all of these skills and they’ll stand a much better chance of finding work when they get older.