Realised this year how much my 19 year old just doesn't know

[davidssdt]

Bit of a random one. My eldest is 19 and it's only this year I've properly clocked how much genuinely useful "adult life" stuff just never gets covered in school - not because teachers don't try, but probably more that there's never actually time carved out for it.
I had to sit down and explain what a mortgage actually is and why an unpaid phone bill can damage your credit file for years, because none of that had ever come up in school. Also had the apprenticeship vs uni conversation recently and realised there's no real structured way for them to weigh that up - it's basically left to them and whoever they last spoke to.
So for full disclosure, I'm actually building something around this (a curriculum site for 16-25s) but not naming it here as I don't want this to read as a plug. I'm genuinely just curious what other parents experience has been around this. What's the thing your teenager had absolutely no clue about until they had to learn the hard way?

A few others have made this assumption and I have answered it. Teaching my child some of this stuff is what gave me the idea to build something other children that don't have a parent doing this, can benefit from. Do you have any input on the actual content or just my parenting?

Don’t you understand that this sort of feedback is telling you what the general attitude of much of your potential audience is? So many people telling you that passing on this information to their children is their own job means that your proposal has a smaller audience than you anticipated. If this is genuine piece of market research (hint - it can’t be as you have no idea how to get the data you need) you would be just as interested in the negative responses and want to explore them in as much depth as the positive ones.

My inital post was on the Teenagers board and this was the email I received from MN after they deleted it. Also the fee was actually £36 (£30+vat) but I think it was well worth it to get all the feedback I have received.

Hello there.

We're getting in touch to let you know that we have removed your thread on Mumsnet.

We understand this might be frustrating, but we don't allow research on the main talk boards - and it appears that you joined with the intention of posting in this way.

Our users are quick to report posts that break our Talk guidelines, so we'd always recommend reading through them before posting on Mumsnet.

If you'd like to post your research on the boards, then you'd be more than welcome to post in our designated research topic here for a £30 fee.

Very best wishes,
MNHQ

Rather than worry about how switched on I am or what I've done for my kids, why not take a look at what I'm building and tell us what you think of it? www.stuffschooldidntteach.com/

Maybe because a lot of parents don't know stuff either?

Ive read it and really really like it OP. The only gap Id say is cooking, shopping. cleaning clothes etc. You'd be amazed how many very clever teens/young adults can't wash clothes, shop and cook a simple meal. Id add that in too. :)

I bought my teenager a little book advising on all things financial in a basic way, as I'm not the best person to ask. Having said that, I suspect they haven't bothered to read it.

I think it's a good idea, but it sounds as though it's going to be very brief (modules can be completed in minutes). And you'll need to be very on the ball with updating.
I wouldn't expect very physical things like cooking, but some basic health and safety stuff would be useful - eg making sure that meat is properly cooked (and what might happen if you don't), etc.

We don't all need geometry and circle equations. We do all need financial literacy.

Compound interest is absolutely something that should be on the exam paper.

Awesome, thank you. There are several books with variations of that title. Unfortunately, kids reading books has been on the decline for decades, hence I tried social media and now trying this app. I don't have any of those topics covered so taking notes. Here are the pillars we have so far. www.stuffschooldidntteach.com/

I am certainly not suggesting schools replace parents teaching kids. If anything, this app will ecourage the deeper conversations around various topics if the parent is avaiable.

The problem is the government wants young people to stop using social media and if it does work the next generation coming up won't be as interested in apps etc.
Your site could date very quickly.

Well done you! Clearly, not all parents, myself included, are as brilliant as you.

Lol this aged well. The payment is a mandatory requirement from MN for research posts which this clearly was and with well over a hundred comments and lots of useful feedback, I think it was money well spent. Thanks for your input though.

Most of this is covered in school in Scotland in a subject called Application of Maths. They take it as National 5s and Highers.

Both my kids are more financially literate than me as a result. They know all about credit cards, pensions, mortgages, compound interest, credit ratings etc.

No I am not qualified or registered so certainly will not be giving tailored financial advice. However, any of my content that involves money will be thoroughly reviewed by an IFA to ensure it is accurate and that it is indeed not 'financial advice'. Thanks for calling this out so that I can make it clear.

I agree but what exactly is your point please? The school system have included financial education in the curriculum since 2014 and have other life skills in the PHSE and Citizenship.

I work in financial services. I’ve seen 19 year olds in debt you wouldn’t believe. As soon as they begin to have their own money, they should understand how the world works in my opinion. Otherwise, others will tell them things that they will believe . Like credit cards are a good idea. Or like me, school will tell them student debt is a great idea and the only way to get ahead.

if you leave it too late - say 15/16 they won’t be interested in listening.

So no, it’s not about being brilliant, it’s about having seen the impact of a lack of education.

@davidssdt here is an alternative idea....
Why not set up or join a company that goes into schools to teach/run workshops around finances.
Make what is taught in schools better.

Noted but I personally cannot see that happening anytime soon. If anything, we will be going more digital in the coming years. Also bear in mind, my target audience is 16-25 and even the upcoming social media ban is targetting under 16s.

Actually I have a full schools path already, teacher packs with lesson plans and assessment built in, plus a school admin view for tracking student/class progress. The issue with one-off workshops (someone earlier in the thread mentioned this exact problem with outside speakers) is retention or the lack of it, so instead I have built this as something teachers or the young adults can revisit anytime rather than a single workshop. www.stuffschooldidntteach.com

@davidssdt I admire your efforts.
However personally (and as a parent of an 18 year old) I generally don't go to random apps/websites when looking for financial information.
I stick to "official" sites like gov.uk or the website of an actual bank.
There is so much incorrect information out there I want to be sure I am getting the correct facts.
No offence.
🙂

You are sceptical? As in, you think I'm a liar? My children are home educated and we teach them about the things they actually need to know about life, and not just blindly following the National Curriculum. We teach them to think for themselves, we involve them in discussions regarding our business, accounts, taxes etc. They love learning about it all and are quite business savvy.

I never said "most primary aged children know about all of those things", I was clearly talking about MY children.

You've concluded on how basic the lessons are without even seeing it? The progress visibility bit is optional and is more aimed at younger teens or where a parent's actively involved in setting it up. For older ones like your daughter it'd more likely be her own account, own choice to use it or not, nothing shared unless she wants it to be. Anyway, sounds like she is not my demographic but thank you for the feedback www.stuffschooldidntteach.com

What a patronising website address! Should it not be stuff your parents didn’t/neglected to teach?! I’m so put off by the dig at schools and teachers.