A Step in the Right Direction

With the primary season reaching a crescendo in Georgia, the political promises to create a better world for everyone have gotten even more outlandish. For $100 you can get a hat that will either make you an astute money manager or send another outsider to Washington. Or vote for me and I will a.) fix the economy, b.) build a wall, c.) end the deficit, d.) vote against any new taxes or e.) none of the above.

While “none of the above” is the most likely outcome of many political promises, I did come across an idea that does have merit. Most parents will tell you that their job came without an instruction manual. However I believe that Julie Lythcott-Haims, author and former Stanford University Dean, has developed some key performance indicators for successful parenting in her response to the question “What are the 8 skills that every 18 year old needs?”

4. An 18 year old must be able to contribute to the running of a household

The crutch: We don’t ask them to help much around the house because the check-listed childhood leaves little time in the day for anything aside from academic and extracurricular work; thus, kids don’t know how to look after their own needs, respect the needs of others, or do their fair share for the good of the whole.

And the 7 other skills are equally powerful. A final warning from the former Dean, “our kids must be able to do all of these things without resorting to calling a parent on the phone. If they’re calling us to ask how, they do not have the life skill.”

Not a complete solution but certainly a step in the right direction.