ii - Prepare My Kid: Life Skills for Kids · If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you can get a snake at...

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MyKid.com www.PrepareMyKid.com www.PrepareMyKid.com www.Preparemykid.com

The Life Skills Blueprint. Copyright © 2017 by Stu Schaefer

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be

used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission except in the case of brief

quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address Body of Purpose,

LLC 7831 Tangleoak Lane, Castle Rock, CO 80108.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any

technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the

advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer

information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being.

In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your

constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

The individuals featured in this book achieved extraordinary results; there are no “typical”

results. Their success stories represent extraordinary examples of what can be accomplished

through an integrated system of exercise, nutrition, and supplementation. As individuals

differ, their results will differ, even when using the same program.

FIRST EDITION

p. cm.

Schaefer, Stu

The Life Skills Blueprint – 1st ed.

1. Self Help. 2. Personal Growth. 3. Health.

4. Mind & Body I. Title.

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www.PrepareMyKid.com www.PrepareMyKid.com www.PrepareMyKid.com www.Prepare

Contents (Click to go to each section)

Life Skills Checklist ........................................................................................................................... 6

Chapter 1 Our Kids Are Being Set Up To Fail!............................................................................. 7

High Schools Aren't Enough Anymore ................................................................................................. 7

Kids Are At-Risk & In Danger ............................................................................................................... 9

My Life Changed With Some Help ....................................................................................................... 9

The Life Skills All Kids Need ............................................................................................................... 10

Chapter 2 Age 12 ..................................................................................................................... 12

Home Essentials ................................................................................................................................ 12

Laundry ........................................................................................................................................................ 13

Cleaning ....................................................................................................................................................... 14

Replacing a Light Bulb................................................................................................................................... 15

Scholastic Essentials .......................................................................................................................... 15

How to Take Notes ....................................................................................................................................... 16

Financial Skills ................................................................................................................................... 17

Opening a Bank Account............................................................................................................................... 17

Quick Notes ...................................................................................................................................... 19

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Chapter 3 Ages 13-14 ............................................................................................................... 20

Home Essentials ................................................................................................................................ 20

Cooking/Baking ............................................................................................................................................ 21

Unclogging a Toilet ....................................................................................................................................... 23

Making & Packing a Lunch ............................................................................................................................ 24

Mowing the Lawn ......................................................................................................................................... 24

Ironing Clothes ............................................................................................................................................. 25


Study Skills ................................................................................................................................................... 26

Time Management ....................................................................................................................................... 27

How to Take Tests ........................................................................................................................................ 28

Mental Skills ..................................................................................................................................... 29

Handling Peer Pressure ................................................................................................................................ 29

Asking for Help ............................................................................................................................................. 30

Talking to Parents/Adults ............................................................................................................................. 30


Paying Bills ................................................................................................................................................... 31

Writing Checks ............................................................................................................................................. 32

Saving Money ............................................................................................................................................... 33

Automotive Skills .............................................................................................................................. 35

Washing a Car .............................................................................................................................................. 35

Waxing a Car ................................................................................................................................................ 35

Quick Notes ...................................................................................................................................... 36

Chapter 4 Ages 15-16 ............................................................................................................... 37

Home Essentials ................................................................................................................................ 37

Changing Household Air Filters ..................................................................................................................... 37


Talking to Teachers ...................................................................................................................................... 38

Mental Skills ..................................................................................................................................... 39

Dealing with Rejection .................................................................................................................................. 39

Solving Problems with Friends ...................................................................................................................... 40

Making Good Decisions ................................................................................................................................ 41


Making a Budget .......................................................................................................................................... 41

Getting a Job ................................................................................................................................................ 43

Automotive Skills .............................................................................................................................. 45

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Checking Fluids................................ ................................................................ ............................................. 46

Changing a Tire ................................ ................................ ................................................................ ............ 46

Jumping a Car Battery ................................ ................................................................ .................................. 48

Changing the Oil ................................................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 48

Quick Notes ...................................................................................................................................... 49

Chapter 5 Ages 17+ ................................ .................................................................................. 50

Home Essentials ................................................................................................................................ 50


Financial Aid ................................................................ ................................................................ ................. 51

Applying for College ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................................... 51

Types of Colleges ................................ ................................................................ .......................................... 52

Mental Skills ..................................................................................................................................... 53

Finding Mentors ................................................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 53

Overcoming Failure ................................................................ ................................................................ ...... 54


Starting a Business ................................ ................................................................ ....................................... 55

Determining a Life Path ................................................................ ................................................................ 58

Loans ................................ ................................................................ ........................................................... 59

Insurance ................................ ................................................................ ..................................................... 59

Final Notes ................................................................................................ ............................... 63

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Chapter 3 Ages 13-14

Maybe you don’t remember middle school or junior high, but I do. Most experts would

agree that this is quite possibly the worst time for kids and the most difficult to navigate

through.

Kids are changing the most at these ages; they notice status now; insecure kids become

bullies; and hormones and body changes are as difficult for kids as they are for you as parents.

For these reasons, we’ll begin to focus on mental and emotional skills in addition to the

basic home essentials, scholastic essentials, and financial skills.

Home Essentials

Now that your kid(s) are in their teens, a few things will shift:

They will probably spend more time home alone

They will want to do more “adult” stuff

They will need to learn more responsibilities to become more independent

That leads us to the following skills:

1. Cooking/Baking

2. Unclogging a toilet

3. Making & packing their lunch

4. Mowing the lawn

5. Ironing clothing (we can dream can’t we!?)

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These four household skills represent the next level of skill and responsibility, and will

naturally guide kids into some decision-making and responsibility.

Cooking/Baking

Anytime you teach your kids about cooking or baking, you should teach the lessons

assuming your kids will be home alone and that safety is the utmost important factor.

I know cooking and baking are two different beasts. I prefer to cook, but I also bake a lot.

Baking can get tricky since I live in Colorado at 6,400 feet, and the altitude makes most reipes

void.

However, I’m choosing to combine the two for one simple reason: so kids learn how to

follow a recipe and become confident in their ability to make themselves food without having to

order take-out.

Cooking ultimately evolves to being able to make up a recipe as you go, or to throw

something together on the fly. I understand, but unless you want a mess on your hands, and

possibly a visit from the fire department, it’s best to start kids off by simply following recipes.

My mom taught me to cook when I was 12, and I’ve cooked ever since. She taught me the

technical skills first, and then following the recipe was easy.

*Note – baking can often require more exact procedures and can also require the use of different

utensils such as a blender or beater. This will obviously need to be covered with your kids, but I will not

focus too much on it.

Measuring Utensils

The first and easiest skill to teach kids is how to use measuring utensils like measuring cups

and measuring spoons.

It’s important they know what TBS vs. tsp means. It’s equally important to distinguish fluid

ounces vs. ounces in weight.

Gather up all your measuring utensils in the kitchen, and have a “show and tell” session

with your kids so they can see, touch, and play with the utensils and get a true frame of

reference for them.

Cutting & Chopping Vocabulary

Chopped, minced, diced… A kid will look at those words, get the same sinking feeling as

when they’re in math class, put down the cookbook, and call the local pizzeria for delivery.

I don’t even know what the true differences are between all of those.

The key is to cut something how you want to eat it, and that’s a great lesson to teach kids

when cooking (baking might be different).

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I prefer smaller bits because they mix better; however, there are times when chopping

something into larger chunks can make it stand out in food… there’s no right or wrong answer,

and kids should be able to do what they want so they enjoy cooking!

Cutting & Chopping Safety Techniques

Make sure you teach your kids how to handle a knife and a cutting board. The last thing

you want is an accident in your kitchen with your kids.

Go over the techniques for the following:

Slicing – pulling the blade across food

Chopping – Anchoring the blade on the tip and using a rocking motion to chop

Here’s a great YouTube demo: https://youtu.be/NlnOsnr94qM

Look at how to hold a blade, how to keep your other hand safe, and how to wash and even

sharpen the blade.

Similar to measuring utensils, it’s important for kids to learn what different types of knives

are used for. Figure 2 gives a great overview.

Figure 1: Types of Knives & Their Uses

https://youtu.be/NlnOsnr94qM

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Stove and Oven Use

My dad was a firefighter growing up, and I heard a lot of stories about how fires were

started. The top three causes were:

1. A lit candle left alone

2. The stove left on

3. Poor wiring/bad cord plugged in

I don’t want to alarm you, but teens like candles and can get distracted easily when using

the stove – thus leaving it on.

Here are some important safety tips for the oven and stove:

1. If you have little kids too, make sure the handle of the pot/pan is angle in so they

can’t grab it

2. Always set a timer so you don’t forget about the food, oven, and stove

3. Keep baking soda handy to put out an oil fire

a. NOTE: never use water on an oil fire, it will make it worse

4. If you have a gas stove, make sure you see the flame ignite when turning it on

5. Know where oven mitts are in case you need to react fast and don’t want to burn

your hands

Recipes & Guides

Once you’ve gone over the basics, it’s time to look at a recipe. The reason you don’t do this

first is because, if you did, your kids wouldn’t be able to conceptualize it. They would have no

point of reference.

Here are some tips for using recipes

1. Look at the picture so you know what you’re end goal is

2. Read the entire recipe first so you can get a clear picture of the process

3. Make sure you have all of the ingredients – and gather them

4. Make not of oven use, stove use, and timing of each

5. Begin cooking or baking

It’s easy to forget how many little things go into cooking. In fact, this guide leaves out many

techniques. This is about getting your kids started and preparing them so they can learn as they

grow.

One important thing to remember is to keep everything simple. The simpler you make

things, the more likely kids are to try them and like them.

Unclogging a Toilet

I will never forget the first time I had to unclog a toilet. The memory is burned into my

mind and – no matter how hard I try – I’ll never be able to get it out.

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All joking aside, it’s intimidating to think about unclogging a toilet… until you do it and

realize how simple it is.

Find a plunger. Put it in the toilet. Pump the plunger. Flush and clean up.

Is it glamorous? No way. Is it necessary? Unfortunately, yes.

There are times, however, that the clog might be very serious and require a snake (plumbing

tool) to get to the clog. In this case, the majority of people call a plumber.

If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you can get a snake at a hardware store and snake the toilet;

however, you must use cautions so that you don’t damage the line or the toilet.

Making & Packing a Lunch

If your kids are like mine, they might be begging you to pack their own lunch.

Sometimes it’s cool to pack your own lunch as a kid, and sometimes it’s awesome to open

your lunch bag and find a feast waiting for you… it depends on the trend.

Regardless of the trends, it’s still important for kids to pack their own lunch – at least some

of the time.

As a nutritionist, I see many kids eat very poorly. The main culprits are too much sugar, not

enough protein, and hardly any veggies.

The results are actually a big deal:

1. Difficulty focusing in class

2. Low energy and fatigue

3. Poor attitude

4. Mood swings

5. Becoming overweight

For that reason, it’s important that your kids pack a balance lunch—one that includes a

protein, a carb, a veggie, and a dessert.

For example, a great lunch would be a turkey sandwich with cheese, on bread, with carrots,

and a small dessert.

It’s also a good idea for your kids to have a couple of extra snacks—one for the morning,

and one for the afternoon. This will help them stay focused and put them in a better mood.

If you’re kids hate mornings, have them make their lunch the night before and leave off any

condiments like mustard or mayonnaise so the bread doesn’t get soggy.

Mowing the Lawn

When kids start mowing the lawn, it’s great. They get to develop some home pride, and

you get to develop your relaxation skills.

Safety is definitely the number one concern when teaching kids how to mow the yard. The

top safety skills include:

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1. Never to touch the hot engine

2. Not to pick up the mower when it’s running (yes, that happened to someone and

they sued and won)

3. Where the dangerous areas of the mower are

4. Why it’s important to wear protective eyewear

5. What to do if the mower gets clogged

6. How to start and stop the mower

Aside from those important safety lessons, basically mowing the yard entails making even

rows back and forth.

If you’re really anal, you can look at edging the yard, cross mowing, and changing

directions of the mowing each week to prevent the grass from only growing one way... not that

I’m anal or anything… I just hear things.

Ironing Clothes

Ironing is a skill all its own. For that reason, I found a convenient graphic that sums up how

to iron better than I ever could.

Figure 2 How to Iron a Shirt

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Ironing Safety Concerns

The only other real concerns for ironing are safety issues. The include:

1. Unplugging the iron when finished

2. Adding water to the iron

3. Not touching the iron

4. Not laying the iron iron-side down

Scholastic Essentials

When it comes to school, think of middle school or junior high as a practice round. In other

words, don’t get too caught up in grades. Rather, focus more on your kids improving and

developing study skills so they’re ready for high school when grades really count.

I was a C-average student in middle school, but I worked hard to learn how to do well in

school. When I got to high school, I maintained a perfect GPA because of the skills I built in

middle school.

Study Skills

When I was in elementary and middle school, I was a really bad student. I struggled to get

C’s; however, I wanted to be a good student so I took study skills courses.

After years of learning the best techniques (and reading a dozen books on the subject) I

found a great system that’s simple yet effective.

Here is the five-step process to studying well and making school EASY:

1. Take good notes.

If you don’t know how to take notes, then learn as soon as possible. You will take

notes the rest of your life, and if you know how, everything will be easier. (We cover

how to take notes in the previous chapter of this guide)

2. Do a short 5-minute review every day.

Each new class, you will take more new notes. The key is to review the old notes

every day and then review the new notes. This may seem like extra work, but it

allows you to remember EVERYTHING so that you don’t have to study all of your

notes and cram for a quiz or test – you’ll already know everything from reviewing it

so many times.

3. Do your homework as soon as you get it.

I had a block schedule, and the homework I got on Thursday wasn’t due until the

next Monday. Many of my friends waited until Saturday or Sunday to do that

homework, and it took them two times longer because they forgot what they had

learned. I did my work the night I got it and breezed through it. The temptation is

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to put it off, but if you do it right away it will take not time at all.

4. Write down your “Things to do.”

Every kid got a planner when I was in school, but no one used them. It was a pain to

dig them out of your backpack and then turn to the date to write down the

homework assignment… I knew I wouldn’t do it so I did something else. I carried a

3 x 5 note card in my pocket, and I would write down the name of my class and the

homework assignment. When I got home, I took the 3 x 5 card out of my pocket and

I already had everything I needed to do written down. EASY!

5. Ask teachers for help.

This does two things. First, it helps you understand the work so that the class is way

easier. Second it shows the teacher you are working hard and want to do well.

Teachers are humans just like you and me, and if they know you’re working hard,

they’ll cut you slack. I once had an 87% in a class and the teacher gave me an A

because he said I worked harder than any student he had seen and he felt I deserved

the A.

Time Management

Next to study skills, time management is the second most important skill to make school

(and life) much easier!

Many people struggle with time management. There are dozens (maybe hundreds) of

books written for adults on time management, so if your kid struggles with it, they’re not alone.

Nevertheless, Kids probably only need a simple system. Otherwise, they might shut down

and never want to learn this valuable skill.

So here’s how to do it.

1. Get a 3 x 5 note card.

This is what you’ll write everything on and you can put this in your pocket so no

one sees it and you don’t look like a dork.

2. Make a list of three things to do.

Either the night before or in the morning, write down the three things you need to

do no matter what – this could be chores, working on a project, sports, or anything

else.

3. Write down how long each item will take.

Next to each of the three things, write down (in minutes) how long it will take. If it’s

ten minutes write a “10” next to the activity. If it’s an hour, write down “60” next to

it.

4. Plan the time during the day you will work on your three things.

Next, plug in the time of day you will work on each of your three things. If it’s

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during school or after school, and for how long (from step 3). For example, you

might be mowing your lawn, so you write in “Mow lawn – 3:00 – 3:45 p.m.”

5. Add in your homework.

The reason you only pick three things is so that you can add in your homework

around them. Do the same thing with your homework as you did with your other

three things: Write when you’ll do it for and how long you’ll work on it.

How to Take Tests

Tests are inevitable. Unfortunately many smart kids score badly on tests because they panic

and they don’t know how to take tests.

When I was in college, a professor showed me how to take tests. His wisdom saved my life

and allowed me to increase my test scores by two full letter grades.

Here are the five steps for taking tests like a pro:

1. Take a deep breath and relax.

When you relax, your brain works way better. By taking a deep breath, you allow

your body to function at its best.

2. Read over the entire test first.

I had a teacher that told the class to always read the whole test first. In order to

drive home his point, he gave us a super hard test, and at the end of the test is said,

“Ha ha… you don’t have to take this test. Just draw a big smiley face and watch the

rest of the class freak out.”

I’ll never forget that.

But reading over a test actually helps your brain get into the test-mode. And you

start seeing the types of questions and answers you’ll be dealing with.

3. Use a blank sheet of paper.

Cover the answers with the blank piece of paper. Only expose one question at a

time, and come up with the answer in your head first before you even look at the

possible answers on the test. This will make sure you don’t over-think anything.

4. Show your work.

When you show your work, you will do so much better! I used to think showing

work was for sissies, until my test scores went from C’s to A’s. Use your blank sheet

of paper to show work on. Writing things down allows you to find mistakes you

wouldn’t find if you do it in your head.

5. Skip answers you don’t know.

Sometimes you won’t know an answer. That’s ok. Skip it and move on. This does

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two things: first, your brain may remember it later as you take the test, and second,

you may find the answer in another question on the test.

Mark the questions you skip so you can easily find them and come back to answer

them. Never leave them blank!

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