If your foster child is a teen, then you’ll need to prepare him for the time when he leaves your home. Adult skills are necessary for him to hold down a job, manage finances well, maintain a tidy home, and care for his own family. So many young adults enter the real world without good life skills, and you have the opportunity to teach him what he needs to know. Here are some tips on teaching him how to adult.
Stop Hovering Over Them
As your foster child enters his teenage years, it is time to loosen up the grip on him a little bit. Start assigning more chores to him such as washing your car, preparing family meals once a week so you can take a break, doing his laundry and putting his clothes away, and cleaning the bathrooms in the house. If he fails tests in school, don’t organize his bookshelf for him. Let him experience the consequences of his actions. He needs to learn responsibility for his behavior.
Teach Him How to Find a Job as an Adult
Employment is a necessary part of being an adult, so use the teenage years to assist him in his job search. Talk to him about the latest job trends and what employers look for in workers. Ask him what interests him the most and also discuss talents he has that you think would work for certain professions. Let him know that college is not the only option, and that trade schools are great too. Point him to online job sites and bring him to different establishments to fill out applications.
Talk About Financial Literacy
If your teen has a part-time job, now you should discuss financial literacy. Show him your monthly budget and talk about why budgeting is important. Help him understand the difference between needs and wants, and talk about saving and investing money for long-term financial stability.
Conflict Resolution
Disagreements happen, and your teen must learn how to handle conflict well. Tell him that not everyone will agree with his views and that he can still be friends with those who don’t share the same views as himself. Talk about how he needs to admit when he hurts others and apologize. Your teen will need to know when to walk away from an argument so that the situation will not get out of hand.
Home Maintenance Adult Skills
You may have seen videos of young people whose homes look chaotic and untidy. Don’t let this be characteristic of your foster child. Start by demonstrating how certain rooms should be cleaned and then watch him as he attempts to do it himself. Once he gets the hang of it, have him clean the assigned rooms without you watching him. Go over the rooms and give pointers on how he can improve next time.
Memorizing Important Addresses and Numbers
Not all facts are easily accessed with a cell phone. Thus, your teen needs to write down important addresses and phone numbers. These include his home address, his school’s address and number, you and your spouse’s phone number, the numbers and addresses of his primary care doctor, and the numbers of the fire and police departments. If your teen loses his phone, he will need a notebook or the local phone directory to get the information he needs.
Proper Hygiene and Health
Your teen needs to understand good hygiene practices and how to stay healthy throughout his life. Talk to him about major diseases such as diabetes, cancer, AIDS, heart disease, and kidney failure. Discuss how these diseases can be prevented and mention the importance of exercise and nutritious meals.
Learn More About Teaching Your Foster Child How to Adult
In conclusion, when your teen learns adult skills, he is more prepared to enter the real world with confidence.
If you’re seeking assistance as a foster parent, contact us. We are here to give you the necessary tools to parent well.