5 Things Your Kids Must Know Before You Send Them To College
Life may have been a little scary in those first few weeks with a newborn in the home. Were you holding the baby’s head up enough? Did you keep your little one safe and warm? Could you figure out how to swaddle tight enough to provide safety and comfort? Over the years, those worries and lessons have changed, and now, with college insight, you are faced with letting go and hoping your kiddos can make the right choices and handle future obstacles.Â
Before letting your teens venture off in the collegiate world, take time now to ensure they are prepared. Instill the following five lessons to help provide safety, confidence and common sense.
- How To Live on a Budget
Over the past 18 years, you bought groceries. You paid for dinner out. You have done most of the financial planning and spending. Did you stop to discuss how you made it happen? How did you manage to put meals on the table, pay the electric bill and keep debt out of sight? You budgeted, and now, with a credit card or checking account available, your youth must do the same.
Work on several spending concepts. Kids should know the difference between a want and need. Monitor your children’s expenses and discuss poor and good choices, helping them assess what they do right and wrong. Along with these habits, explain the consequences of missing payments or accruing debt. After all, they probably don’t realize their actions now impact their future credit history.
- How To Change a Flat Tire
At some point, your children may experience a flat tire. Could a spare be put on without help? Do you all have a plan for how to react to the situation and correct it? Tire busts can occur slowly or suddenly. Consult with your kiddos about both. If a tire is low, could your teens make it safely home while riding slow? If so, call for a tow or head to a nearby repair shop.
If a significant bust occurs, the car is likely stopped on the side of the road. Your child could call for road assistance from one of the primary operations, but that could require long waits. For safety and time, practice how to locate the spare and swap it out.
- How To Use Resources Wisely
Balance is essential in household upkeep and daily choices. Kids who understand how to maintain things and get the most from them are prepared to spend less and appreciate more. Parents should talk about how to clean and support systems so that they get the most use. Teens probably don’t know much about electrical distribution, but having that information could help them improve utility expenses. Talk to them about steps that minimize troubles.
- How To Handle Social Media
Kids today typically have a social media account to follow their friends’ activities and post information about their lives. Phones are easy to access and readily available. A picture of a college party could appear online with a click, showing images that don’t share the best choices. In the old days, what happened in college likely stayed there, but nowadays, these posts have become immortalized online. Future employers could locate these choices, smashing possibilities pretty quickly. Discuss the proper way to use social media, and be sure that kids know little privacy on the internet.
- How To Pick the Right Friends
At home, you could supervise friendship selection, advising about who you liked and didn’t. At a university, students pick their groups and companions. Are your kids ready to make that decision? Be upfront about what to look for in others such as warning signs of drug use and potential dangers.
It’s time to let go. Before you release the hands, be upfront about several things. Kids must know how to handle unsafe conditions, manage financial obligations and select appropriate social circles. They may make mistakes along the way, but these foundational concepts could support them through difficult times.
