Hello, I am 20 years old and a young parent myself. I have to admit that I haven’t been very good at learning some of the basic things in life, like washing my face, legs, and feet. My parents never taught me these things when I was young. Furthermore, I was never taught how to cook or clean. There are so many things that my parents didn’t teach me, and I’m really grateful that my wife has been helping me learn as I come to understand that I don’t know certain things. It makes me feel a bit ashamed, but I really want to learn. So, please teach your kids how to bathe and live.
Always a great reminder to focus on the basics. In addition to hygiene and cooking, there are a lot of little things like basic repair by tightening screws, cleaning surfaces, and upkeep on utensils and other things that are used regularly that are great to pass on if you know how. While my parents did teach those things when asked, they were extremely busy and didn’t always volunteer the non-basic stuff and I didn’t know to ask.
Thank you for the reminder, @[email protected]
I was in my 40s before I learned that “washing your face in the shower” is so much easier if you exhale slowly through your nose and mouth while rinsing. It’s also a really good idea when you’re tipping your head back to wash your hair, to plant one of your feet at the edge of the tub or shower. This gives your brain a better reference to what “up” and “down” are when you’ve got your head tipped back and eyes closed under water that’s spraying on you at an angle. This didn’t matter so much when I was younger, but now that I am old, it’s pretty much a necessity. Falling in the shower is incredibly dangerous.
I cannot recommend basic yoga enough for wonky balance.
I have terrible proprioception, i run into corners and bump my shoulders constantly (even though im a smallish person and it makes no sense). Yoga made it easier to close my eyes in the shower, catch my balance, not sprain my joints, so much within a few months from like, 20 min twice a week. Free youtube videos. I’ve saved myself from serious injury more than once.
Thank you for posting here
My wife and I just started watching “Your Honor” on Netflix. In the first episode, the judge’s son kills someone in a hit and run and comes home and tries to wash his bloody clothes. He doesn’t know how to use the washer and ends up flooding the laundry room.
I turned to my wife and said, “that’s why we insisted on teaching the kids to do their own laundry.”
If you’re doing it right, by the time your kids are 18, they should be able to take care of every basic task in the home on their own.
I was definitely expected to competently conceal my own felonies by 18, smdh.
As you should be!
If you can’t hide evidence before you can be tried as an adult, you deserve what you get.
“take care of”
* knowing wink *
You’re not raising a child, you’re raising an adult.
My mother wouldn’t let me do my own laundry because she was afraid that I’d damage the appliances. When I was 18 and broke in an apartment, I caused all my shirts to shrink. Thanks mom.
Ahhhhh this I could see, yeah that had to suck.
It’s so important to learn regular household skills early on. My parents never taught me to do laundry, so even though I’ve been doing my own for decades, I still get a little anxious when I do, and often ask my wife to double-check before I start any loads.
I always get my preschool-aged kid to help (or just “help”) around the house whenever possible. If the prospect of helping Mom or Dad isn’t enough or if they’re especially helpful, I’ll occasionally throw in a small monetary reward (max of $3 for now). I try to remain as hands-off as possible in those moments, stepping in only as necessary to correct mistakes or do tasks too big for a little one. They’re still too young to do most chores solo, but they’ve developed enough confidence in things like cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, etc. that I’m certain they’ll have no issues when they’re of age.
I’m trying to include my preschooler in some small household things or at least explain why I’m doing some odd thing she’s never seen before.
