Most parents are probably burnt out right now on reviewing math facts and vocabulary words. I, personally, have been mostly focused on making sure my nine-year-old continues to read consistently and gets outdoors enough; beyond that, fine, play Minecraft. But one way we could be taking advantage of this summer is by zeroing in on teaching our kids life skills.
Right now we could be showing them some cooking basics, how to sort laundry or how to change a bedsheet, as well as how to get more involved in their community. But, as I mentioned, there is the burnout to contend with. So Common Sense Media is offering a free webinar for parents tomorrow, July 1—with writer and podcaster Asha Dornfest and author Catherine Newman—to help us get started:
Pre-pandemic, asking kids to help around the house amid busy school schedules might have fallen off the to-do list, but experts have always underscored the long-term benefits of teaching kids everyday responsibilities. Our speakers will help parents connect the dots between practicing everyday life skills and instilling in our kids a sense of community involvement—helping a neighbor, writing a congressperson, or working at a food bank.
Dornfest is the author of Parent Hacks: 134 Genius Shortcuts for Life with Kids
and co-host of the podcast Edit Your Life, and Newman recently released her new book, “How to Be a Person: 65 Hugely Useful, Super Important Skills to Learn Before You’re Grown Up,” both of which seem like fitting backgrounds for helping us help our kids start to develop the life skills they need.
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You can register for free here. The webinar, titled “Locking in Life Skills, Caring for Community, and Other Tips for a Productive Family Summer,” starts at 1 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, July 1.
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