What skills do you prioritise/consider of highest importance for your DC?

[wordfactory]

Following a fascinating thread about learning Mandarin, there seems a divergence among parents as to what skills are imperative for our DC to master and which will have the maximum impact upon their ability to thrive.

So what do you consider the most important? And why? And how do you ensure they receive priority treatment?

Conversely, what things make you think meh?

Reading and writing are overrated IMO. Any bugger can read and write. Only leads to English degrees and journalism.

Being tall.

Confidence and ability to communicate.
The world is changing so quickly, that it's difficult to imagine what sorts of jobs there will be in 15 years time.

Social skills, good manners, teamwork, common sense, ability to realise that life ain't fair and not to sulk when things don't go to plan.

Agree with axure too.

For me it is Confidence, Open-mindedness and Flexibility, supported by learning languages and spending part of their education abroad.

Most people prioritise the skills that they have that have allowed them to become successful as the ones that they want their DC to acquire.

For me it is less about my DC mastering skills and more about allowing them time to play together whilst they still have the inclination to do so .

Critical thinking, emotional intelligence, self-sufficiency skills (both practical and emotional), manners, communication, teamwork.

Oh I am loving these suggestions...

Being able to focus for hours on a task.

There are tons of threads about parents being unable to get their children to do homework or to practice music. We don't have that problem [clicks on POST MESSAGE in a smug way]

Having fun. Followed by confidence & good social skills. Common sense would be good too!

Netball would be at the bottom of the list of usefull life skills!

The ability to think critically and creatively.

Also reasonable literacy and numeracy skills.

The ability to build and maintain positive relationships.

Can I ask how posters actively and consciously foster these skills in their DC?

Aswell as being articulate, honest, hardworking and loyal they must be able to swim!

I point out (frequently) that any bugger can read or write.

By being a role model, wordfactory. By 'living' what we preach to our kids.

I can only prioritise things I feel I have some control over and that I feel are important to me.

Manners; Respect of adults, peers and parents; hard work - I have very high expectations in those areas and consider them an absolute priority for my children.

otherside are you me?

I firmly believe that leading from the front is the very best thing you can do as a parent.

To be able to look after themselves in a practical sense
To be able to get on with anyone
To be confident with numbers in a real situation
To be able to read well enough to access any information they need
To be assertive
To be able to concentrate and complete what they start

"Can I ask how posters actively and consciously foster these skills in their DC?"

I stand behind them with a big stick :)

Much as I love pushedtotheedge's suggestion, I am hopeful that my daughter will pick up the best of myself and her father and not the worst of us. If she gets my best bits plus his best bits, plus the best bits of her grandparents (who are her main carers when I'm at work), DD will grow to be an awesome human being. Of course, she could go the other way and develop all our worst bits, in which case the world should cower :)

The three Rs: right, wrong and respect.

Everything else comes in time.

Being creative. Being interested in life. Being articulate.

for me one of the most important skills would be perseverance. this is possibly down to the fact that i never finish anything.

but i do think to acheive what they want to achieve they will need to be aware that it wont fall in their lap and that perseverence is necessary and isn't easy. and the knowledge that their futures aren't mapped out, they have to carve their own paths and there wont be someone standing beside them with a textbook giving tehm instructions or telling them whether they have made the right decision.

also, they need to know how to cook and keep their space clean.

to treat others as they would like to be treated themselves so be kind basically!

to try their hardest and to be confident and happy in themselves :)

i am also teaching them all how to clean up after themselves, cook, clean etc, good life skills!