Teach Your Children to Take Care of Themselves

It is important that we teach our children to take care of themselves, to think and do for themselves starting at a young age. You will do your kids no favors if you do everything for them. In the event something happens to you, they will be unable to take care of themselves. And let’s face it, lives are really busy and we need all the help we can get.

No matter what is going on in life or the world, everyone needs to be able to look after themselves and each other. The more family members that can handle things and know what needs to be done, the better off the family will be as a whole. Teach Your Children to Take Care of Themselves and they can help take care of the family.

This is the table of contents for Teach Your Children to Take Care of Themselves. The title is at the top in black. There is a numbered list of topics also in black. The background is with a thin blue outline border.

1. Do they know who they are and what they believe?

Do your kids know what they believe in and what they stand for? Have you instilled confidence and self-worth in them?

If your kids go off for the weekend, will they be ok, or will they get into something stupid or dangerous because of peer pressure? You need to teach your kids to know who they are and what they believe in. You need to know that they will make good choices when you are not there to advise them. You know they will because you have taught them to. You have to show them that they are strong and that they can be themselves. Be sure your kids can take care of themselves around peer pressure and with others making bad choices. They have to be able to take care of themselves emotionally and mentally or they will go along with anything and anyone. They also need to know that if they make a mistake, we will forgive them and we will help them through it as a family.

This is a graphic for Do They Know Who They Are and What They Believe? There is a drawn picture of the five pieces of The Armor Of God. The words: Who are you and What do you believe are to the sides of the armor. The background is white.

Just think about your kids going off to college. How will they fare on their own?

2. Can they Cook?

Can your kids feed themselves? Can they cook? We are not talking about frozen pizza and Ramen noodles. We are talking real, nutritious meals. Your kids should have a good base knowledge of home skills. They do not have to be professional-level cooks, of course. But they should at least have four or five simple meals that they know how to make. This will ensure that they can at least have one meal a day during the week and then you can feed them on the weekend if they come home. Growing up each member of the family had a night that they were responsible for the meal. This sharing of responsibilities made life easier for the main cook who worked a full-time job too.

So many people are stuck eating out and eating fast food because they lack the basic skills to feed themselves.

This is neither self-sufficient nor healthy.

This is the graphic for Can They Cook? There are two drawn pictures of dogs. Picture one is a sad looking dog with a cup of tea and a piece of bread in a toaster. The second dog is in a chef outfit with a smile on its face. He has a stove with several things cooking on it. The word Cook? Is at the top. The words: Will it be burnt toast and tea OR a hot nutritional meal are to the sides of the pictures. The background is white.

3. Can they handle money?

In this day and age, most people live paycheck to paycheck. It’s tough to feel secure when the loss of one check can bankrupt your finances. Money management is one of the hardest things for people to master. It’s unreasonable to expect kids to “just know” how to make ends meet, especially when they are just getting out on their own. You should start your kids at an early age learning how the house budget is done. Show them how you keep your budget organized. If you don’t budget, maybe you should start and get them in on the ground floor. Give them a good understanding of money, budgeting and managing their resources. Being able to control their spending and account for their money is a gift you should be sure you give your kids.

Some of us are not great with accounting but some of us are. They ones that understand money marketing, investments, and financing handle those accounts. But everyone has a basic knowledge of budgets and making ends meet. As a farm, we have to keep a tight rein on money. We need to be able to settle the accounts and know where the money went.

Even the teens have their own money from their jobs and have their own bank accounts to handle. This teaches them how to keep their money affairs in hand, while they are young and at home before they get out in the world alone and fall off the deep end.

This is the graphic for Can They Handle Money? The word Money is at the top. There are seven drawn pictures with a money theme, a piggy bank, a bank, a vault, a calculator, a pile coins, a box of paper money, and a past due bill. The background is white.

4. Can they handle daily Chores?

In a busy world where everybody works (yes, a farm is work.), it’s awesome to have help. Call it “life skills”; laundry, sewing a button on their shirt, changing a car tire, pumping their own gas at the gas station? You may be laughing but it happens. I never want my kids to be in a situation on the side of the road (or on a date, yes, it happened) just because of a flat tire. These things are very important.

Our kids know how to change a tire, pump gas, do laundry, drive a lawn mower and a tractor. They know how to prep for winter storms and wrap pipes. They can take care of the farm animals and the dogs on their own if they have to. We do not leave any of the younger kids on the farm alone, that is just asking for trouble. But if something should happen and they needed to, they could handle the farm for a couple of hours.

This is graphic one for Can they handle daily chores? The word daily chores is at the top. There is a drawn picture of a gnome wearing dark teal washing dishes at a sink with the word dishes above it. To the left side is a drawn picture of a trash can with the word trash beside it. And to the bottom center is a drawn picture of two gnomes both wearing a light teal. One gnome has a broom and the other a mop. The words sweep and mop are below the gnomes. The background is white.

This is graphic two for Can they handle daily chores? The word laundry is at the top. Near the top there is a drawn picture of a clothes washer and dryer set. To the left side is a drawn picture of a gnome wearing purple folding clothes with a stack of folded clothes beside him. To the left is a gnome wearing green with an iron and an ironing board. And to the bottom center is a drawn picture of a gnome wearing yellow with a laundry basket and a tidy room. The background is white.

This is graphic three for Can they handle daily chores? The words: or not are at the top in bold black. There are drawn pictures of a very messy room. The dishes in the sink are all dirty and piled up. There is too much trash in the bin so it flows over and onto the floor. The table has wrappers and empty bottles on it and on the floor. The bed room is a mess with dirty clothes everywhere. The background is white.

5. Physical Dangers

Another thing to consider, can you kids take care of themselves physically? Or will your kids become victims? We are not, of course, suggesting or promoting physical violence. But your kids should know how to protect themselves if need be. Being self-sufficient does not only cover things to eat and how to make or grow things you need. Being self-sufficient should also cover being able to protect themselves and their family.

The biggest issue is being aware of your surroundings. The most efficient way to stay safe is to avoid unsafe situations. Call it “street smarts” in a sense. The MAN has taught our kids to always “be on orange” if they are away from the house (at school, at a store, or in a parking lot). Situational awareness is important in order to stay safe in a messed up world. Pay attention to what’s going on around you and KEEP YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR PHONE.

This is the graphic for physical dangers. The words: physical danger are at the top in black. There are drawn pictures of things that could be dangerous. The pictures are a car broken down with a guy looking under the hood, a rattle snake with the word poisonous snake below it, a series of caution signs, a computer with a hacker, and a man in a car watching with a camera the word “stalker” is below the car. The background is white.

6. Emergency Training Classes

What about emergencies and natural disasters? Do your kids know what to do?

Emergencies happen. Your kids should have at least a basic understanding of these things and what to do in the event of an emergency. It does not matter if it is a fire, a tornado warning, freezing temperatures, a flood, a hurricane, a car wreck, or getting lost in an unknown area of the woods or town, they are all emergency situations and your kids need to know what to do. Natural disasters and emergency situations can pop up quickly and unannounced. Be sure your kids have the basics down so they are not caught unprepared.

There are all kinds of emergency fliers available from the schools, local government agencies, the health department, even some libraries have emergency fliers available. Even Smokey the Bear and Ranger Rick have good information for kids to understand and remember.

This is graphic one for emergency training. The title is at the top in black. There are drawn pictures of emergency themes. There is a CB radio set up, a cell phone with 911 on it, a fire truck, an ambulance, a police car, a set of fire extinguishers, and a map with backpack, a compass and a Swiss Army Knife. The background is white.

This is graphic one for emergency training. The words: Will They Know What To Do? are at the top in black. There are drawn pictures of nine different emergency situations. The themes include tornado, fire, flood, lost in the desert, earthquake, snowstorm, mudslide, tsunami, and volcano. The background is white.

7. First Aid Classes and CPR

Life can be a crazy thing and accidents happen. If they cut themselves, do your kids know how to stop the bleeding? Do your kids know what to do in case of someone choking or drowning? If they or someone else is injured, will your kids know what to do to help or will they just stand there frozen in panic or screaming? A screaming person in the middle of a bad situation is no help at all.

All of us, including the kids, have some medical training, or at least have taken basic first aid. Proudly, we can say that our kids are certified in basic CPR.

As a parent, it is your duty to help your kids be as prepared as they can be to handle the things that life will throw at them. This does include personal injury issues.

This is the graphic for First Aid and CPR. The title is in black at the top. The top drawn picture is of a large first aid kit with tools and meds spread around it. The words: Basic Emergency First Aid are beside the kit. The second drawn picture is a set of four numbered pictures with a woman doing CPR on a man. The word: CPR is above the picture. The background is white.

8. Self-Defense Classes

There are many good self defense courses for kids. You do not have to enroll in a school for martial arts, although that is an option. But just a simple self defense course is a good place to start. There are many levels of self defense and everyone must be comfortable with whatever they choose to do, no matter what they choose to do. If you are not comfortable with your chosen skill set, you will not practice and unpracticed skills are no use in an actual emergency.

This is the graphic for Self Defense. The title is at the top in black. There are drawn pictures of a dog in a martial arts uniform, a cat in boxing gear, a woman and a man sparing, an asp, a taser, and a can of pepper spray. The background is white.

9. Firearms Safety Classes

As we are farmers, on a farm, out in the country we do have firearms. We do not hunt as a whole, they are for the defense of the farm animals, if needed. But everyone in the family, of all ages, has gone through firearms safety classes. Every member of our house knows how to properly use a firearm and when it is appropriate to do so. Thankfully we rarely have had the need. Poisonous snakes and coyotes are a big problem here and we’d be remiss as parents if our child shot off their leg while defending themselves or the animals.

Again, proudly, we can say that our kids are NRA-certified marksmen.

This is the graphic for Firearms Safety. The title is at the top in black. At the top is a drawn picture of the American flag with the Second Amendment. The center drawn picture is a Training Certificate for completing firearms safety training. There are two crossed rifles at the bottom of the certificate. At the bottom left is a set of hearing protectors and the bottom right is a target. The background is white with a thin blue line border.

10. And of course, there is always “The Zombie Apocalypse”. Not that we expect actual zombies but you get the idea. How would you fair in such a situation?

Do you have practical life skills and common sense? Have you taught these skills to your children? Could you survive a “Walking Dead” scenario? Would you and your family be able to survive or do you have the skills, knowledge, and common sense to thrive?

This is the graphic one for Zombie Apocalypse. There is a drawn picture of a wooden sign with four directions. On the direction signs are either the words: lost, panic, skills, or knowledge. There is an old-fashioned clock hung on the top of the sign. There is a pair of hiking boots at the foot of the sign. Beside the sign is a wooden fence post with old wire wrapped around it. Leaning on the post is a fishing pole, a map, a thermos, a bottle, and a compass. There are fall leaves around on the ground. The background is white.

Not telling your kids that bad things can happen and keeping them in the dark will not keep them innocent, it will make them vulnerable. You can not be with your kids every second of the day and you can not protect them for everything. Yes, that is a terrifying thing, we know but it is true. You must teach your children how to protect themselves and to be prepared for emergencies for those times that you are not there.

This all is not to make you feel like a bad parent or to berate your parenting skills. Many people these days do not even think about these kinds of things. Life can get so busy with work, home, kids, after school activities, weekend yard work and all the other little things that fill up your days, weeks and month. If can be hard to remember these kinds of things let alone set aside time to talk to your kids about them. And it is even harder to get around to teaching them all this life stuff. After all, they already have so much to learn about. But if you do not take the time to teach them, Who will?

We live in a safe town, with people we know and have known all our lives. We have family and friends we can rely on.

Our kids have never had to deal with any of these things by themselves. But if they were to be left on their own for whatever reason, what will they do? We want to be sure that our kids have all the best skills and info that we can provide them with. We want the peace of mind knowing that we have taught them the skills that they will need to have a happy, safe, healthy life, no matter where they are. We want our children to be survivors not victims.

And, of course, we want to know that they will not be running around in a hurricane, screaming at the top of their lungs in panic. There is also a need for some common sense here. If your kids have basic skills, knowledge, and common sense they can get through just about anything.

We hope this list of ways to Teach Your Children to Take Care of Themselves has given you some things to think on. And that this will be helpful to your and your kids. Please consider implementing some of these ideas with your kids. And if you as an adult, are missing some of these basic skills, consider improving your skills as well. As we have said in several of our talks, no knowledge is every a waste but you must be able use what you know.

If you are interested in other talks similar to this please see the ones below.

Situational Awareness

Basic Home Apothecary Natural Wound Care Tips

Thank you for visiting and please come again for another edition of Out Standing in the Field.