What things did you wish you had learned as a teen?

[BecomingAdultly]

I'm putting together a summer programme for teens and part of it is for them to learn skills out of the classroom. Right now I've got someone coming in to teach first aid, mindfulness, how to spot domestic abuse, presentational skills and how to budget. Anyone got any other suggestions? I'm trying to fill a week.

Definitely basic car maintenance and basic DIY- Also, possibly things to look out for when buying a 2nd hand car. Even though I'm a largely independent adult, I still take my dad car shopping with me because I'm not confident I'd spot an issue.

As a teen I did learn how to sew on a button, how to hem trousers and how to make basic clothing repairs, but a lot of people don't know how to do this, and I think it's really helpful to know for when you live on your own!

I've only just worked out about credit scores in my late twenties. I thought I was doing well because I paid everything on time and never took out commercial debt (have a student loan), however, I'm thinking about getting a credit card just to help benefit my "thin" credit file.

Jesus where do I start? How to be good with money the benefits of education following your own path and not letting others influence you(badly!) all the things I want to instil in my daughter(can you tell my issues started in my teens!!

@Plan everything is felt with centrally nowadays but people still want to make an appointment to speak with the bank manager, at a branch 100 miles away from where they are to register power of attorney or take someone off a joint account. Sometimes it’s a real battle just to explain to them that the bank manager is far to busy and important to meet with them over something so mundane.

Don’t even get me started on people who write cheques out to ‘cash’ then hand over their debit card with the cheque to withdraw £20!

I wish I'd learned basic cooking skills like soups and omelettes. I was brought up by a single parent who worked full time so we ate a lot of convenience food.

To understand addiction and how far reaching it can be

Can I send my DDs please?

Relationship red flags and what you should be able to expect from a good relationship.

Boundaries, saying 'no' with confidence.

How to listen (REALLY listen - not just Active Listening 'nod your head and say mmm' rubbish)

How to understand / relate to / have great conversations with people whose opinions differ from your own

Enjoying your own company

Money management, tax, mortgages
Agriculture I think is good to know
Bee keeping. But that's be mentioning it personally. I'd loved to study it

Logical and critical thinking skills, how to construct an argument or decision making process, spotting logical fallacies, heuristics, cognitive bias etc.

Sign language and lip reading.

What my rights were in the work place/home/bedroom and how to be assertive. It took a lot of muddling through for me to figure all this out myself and would have been very useful if I’d know my rights etc as a teen.

Sounds great! I just have two small suggestions that could piggy back on some of the other topics:

That they are never 'stuck', there is always a way forward/through/out (whether it be school/job/relationships/etc).

If they ask for help with a problem and don't receive assistance to continue to ask until they find someone who will help them. There will always be crappy unhelpful people, but there will also be wonderful helpful people. Never let the unhelpful ones derail you or put you off seeking advice/assistance/etc. Persevere!

How to use a spreadsheet. I don’t know if this is taught at any stage these days but people are astounded by my fairly basic skills.

Pelvic floor exercise, I wish someone had told me!

Agree with how to use a spreadsheet- this could tie in with your budgeting topic if you get them to create their own budgets in Excel.

I know they do sex ed in school. But I think a really frank discussion about porn, and how it is not a realistic portrayal of a healthy loving relationship, would benefit many teens. Issues around consent, respect etc.

That MLM’s will never make you rich (or even any money)

Something everyone used to know but many teenagers don't know now - how to tell the time on a traditional clock including how may mins in an hour.

As you are having them cook then teaching them the polite way to use a knife and fork and what to do if there are 3 sets of cutlery, you could also add chopsticks and eating with your hand.

Basic cheap cooking.

More than budgeting. An overview of financial management.

Mortgages & Rent
Pensions
Salary / Tax
Earning potential - descions made now impact future earning
Maternity pay / sick pay etc
Borrowing & finance ( pcp, credit cards etc)

I’m sure a summary of all of this can be lifted from my net savof by expert.

How to make a good CV

Similar to a PP , there are lots of options and choices in life and that this doesn't change because you have reached the grand old age of 18 or 21. Do what seems to be the right thing for YOU.iIt is your life and if ,as you grow older or circumstances change , the situation is no longer right for you , you are not stuck, you can move on.

More practically and learning from my mistakes with my DC, how to keep on top of chores so that they don't 'swamp you. I am thinking about planning of finances ( reconciling , saving, bills, sundries etc) , running the home( cleaning schedule, little jobs round house servicing of boiler etc), keeping on top of the car, ( cleaning, service, tyres, bulbs, MOT) .
I had thought that as they were quick learners and organised about their studies that they would get on top of all that stuff as I did ( and my DH) but it seems that they could have done with a lot more coaching.

Budgeting definitely
How to look for and apply for a job