Today’s world is driven by technology and innovation.  While that is certainly important, so are clean sheets!

Kids spend so much time at school, doing homework, playing sports, socializing, and the list goes on.  However, do we really take the time daily, weekly, monthly, to share with them the practical things that life entails?  Eventually, they will enter the world and will need to know how to wash their sheets among other things!  

This is a list I made for our family to ensure my kids have some basics down before they leave the nest.  This is a great start to help our kids to become competent and independent adults.  Many of these skills they can begin learning in small ways as young children.    

Money

• Balancing a checking account
• Maintaining a savings account
• Creating and abiding by a monthly budget
• Paying Bills (as teenagers, a credit card or checking account may be useful in money management)

Kitchen

• How to wash, dry and put away dishes by hand
• Load and unload a dishwasher
• Open cans with a manual can opener
• Creating a menu and grocery list (Please see my post on Grocery Budgeting Strategies)
• Cut up vegetables, fruits and meats
• Follow a recipe that they have never made
• How to cook staple meals and family favorites
• Understanding measurements for cooking and baking

Laundry

• • Sorting clothes by color and laundering requirements  (I like this sorter with 4 sections)

• Treating stains
• Folding and putting away laundry
• Iron clothes properly

General Household

• Hanging a picture frame
• Install a curtain rod and shower curtain
• Change a light bulb 
• Reading a measuring tape
• Using basic tools (screwdriver, drill, hammer and level)

Automotive

• Change a tire and check tire pressure
• Check fluids
• Clean carpets, dash, clutter and windows as needed
• Maintenance log for vehicle should be kept for your reference
• Registration, insurance information and emergency information can be kept in glove compartment
• Keep an emergency kit in the car (jumper cables, water, blankets, emergency cones or signs, etc.).  This is a good one you can purchase for $35.95 on Amazon.  It includes major necessities.

Outdoor

• Mow the lawn
• Trim the yard and flower beds
• Clean outdoor tools and store properly
• Sweep porch or patio areas
• Plant flowers or other plants

Cleaning

          Kitchen

• • Counters and stovetop should be wiped off daily
  • Sink-daily
  • Floor-weekly mop at least, daily sweep
  • Refrigerator-clean out expired food weekly and clean the shelves monthly or as needed

          Living room/Family room

• • Vacuum-weekly or more often if pet hair or other allergens pose a problem
  • Pick up blankets, toys, etc. daily
  • Dust furniture weekly or more often if needed
  • Dry/dust mop hardwood floors weekly or more often if needed
  • Wet mop hardwood floors with oil soap monthly

          Bathroom

• • Counters weekly or more often as needed
  • Mirror-weekly
  • Toilet-weekly or more often as needed
  • Shower/Tub-weekly or more often if the need arises

          Closets

• • Seasonally clean to donate or discard clothing that is worn out or no longer fits.  Seasonal clothing can be stored to be used the following season if there is not enough room in the closet for it to remain.
  • Yearly overhaul of closets are recommended.  Things tend to linger that we do not have a use for or are not attached to in some way.

          Laundry room

• • Wipe down washer and dryer-monthly or more often if needed
  • Vacuum or dust floors-weekly
  • Remove clutter if anything tends to pile up in this room

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