What practical life skill should every child learn before leaving primary school? £100 voucher to be won

[CeriMumsnet]

As parents, we're constantly teaching our children life skills - from making their own breakfast and crossing the road safely to managing friendships and handling tricky situations.

But if you had to choose, what’s the most important skill every child should know by the end of primary school?

What practical skills do you make a point of teaching your children? Are there things you wish you'd learned earlier yourself? And how do you help your children build confidence and independence as they grow?

We're working with St John Ambulance to raise awareness of First Aid with Bertie - a fun programme that helps children learn essential first aid skills and feel more confident knowing what to do in an emergency.

Everyone who posts on this thread by 29 July will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 Amazon voucher. (Prize draw fulfilled by Mumsnet - T&Cs here).

There are so many... Practical skills like swimming and cycling are probably best learned as young as possible, as it can be difficult for older children e.g. teens to find suitable classes for people their age, further strengthening the idea that they've missed the chance.

I would add cooking including knife skills and food hygiene. Also money management.

To use a phone to call for help should the need arise, especially if there are just two of you in the home during the day.

How to call 999
How to call for help if lost in shopping centre or beach: shouting "mum's name" e.g. "Lucy" rather than shouting "Mum".
How to find a safer adult if lost (staff in shop, lifeguard on beach) and how to say no and attract attention if a dodgy adult tries to talk to them etc.

I actually think it's independence.
By the time children leave primary school, I'd love them to be able to make themselves a simple meal, look after their own belongings, cross a road safely, know how to call 999 and explain what's happened, swim, manage some basic money, and understand how to stay safe online.
More than any individual skill though, I hope they leave believing they're capable. Capable of having a go, making mistakes, solving problems, asking sensible questions, and knowing when to ask for help. We can wrap children in cotton wool, but eventually they have to function without us. Giving them genuine responsibility from a young age builds confidence far better than doing everything for them.
As someone who works in education, I think schools have a role to play, but so much of this comes from everyday family life too —cooking together, catching the bus, paying in a shop, helping with jobs around the house, talking through tricky situations and gradually giving children more freedom. Those ordinary moments are where real life skills are learned.

I think the most important would be how to swim and be safe around water, and what do in an emergency - how to seek help, immediate first aid, exiting buildings quickly and safely in a fire even when in a panic (this is why my local primary school sometimes fire drills with fake smoke and usual exits blocked off, so the children have to think quickly about alternative routes)

It depends on the age of the child, at 3 calling 999.

By the end of primary what a PP said about making a simple meal etc.

I also think where you live makes a difference, if you live near the sea then skills to do with sea and beach are necessary, if you live in London, reading the tube map and using public transport is important.

how to not panic /survive if you can’t swim Float to Live: Lean your head back into the water so your ears are submerged. Spread your arms and legs slightly to stabilize yourself and let your natural buoyancy keep you at the surface.

also if you get lost Stay Put: Unless you are in immediate danger, remaining in one place makes it much easier for search parties to locate you than if you keep wandering

All children should know about consent from as early as possible, that ‘no means no’ and that people have a right to change their mind.

Body autonomy
how to cross a road
how to lose graciously

how to swim or at least float
how to call 999 for help
To know their own address

To not be afraid of using the telephone for talking.

To be able to commence and hold polite engaged conversations with adults in all reasons situations (eg police, ticket counters, shops, offices etc).