8 Important Life Skills Your Kids Should Have By Age 13

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It is important for your kids to have  basic life skills by age 13. Teaching your child these skills puts them in good stead for independence.

Believe it or not, your little bundle of joy will be  trotting off to university soon. So will need these skills sooner rather than later. 

Growing up in Nigeria, my siblings and I were taught our fair share of life skills by my parents. This entailed doing household chores on a daily basis (which I absolutely hated).

 I wondered why I had to  make my bed as soon as I woke up and clean the house every Saturday.  

Reflecting on this when I became an adult. I realized that my parent’s foresight prepared me for  independence. 

It also gave me a range of skills which I am now transferring to my own children. This has made me an advocate for teaching children life skills at an early age.

Keep reading this post if you want to know why your kids should have basic life skills. And also 8 life skills that are important to have.

What Are Life Skills

Macmillian Education describes life skills as the skills we need to deal effectively with the challenges in everyday life, whether at school, at work or in our personal lives.  

Kids are taught life skills which enable them to function effectively in their day to day life by their parents and teachers. 

This helps with confidence building, problem solving and developing their overall personality. 

 

 

What Life Skills Should A 13 Year Old Have?

At thirteen most children should be able to get to school and do a number of activites independently.

At this age, they further develop their problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills.  

According to Young Scot, at thirteen your child can also:

  • Be employed occasionally by parents doing light gardening or farming work – subject to the local authority bylaws where you live. 
  • Be employed by other people doing light work specified in, and subject to, the local authority bylaws where you live (e.g. your local newspaper shop to do a paper round).
  • Join a social networking site.

8 Important Life Skills Your Kids Should Have By Age 13

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1. Time Management Skills

Time management is an important skill to have by age 13.

If your child is not already doing this, teach them to tell the time on an analogue or digital clock.

Help them stay organised by using “to-do lists”, “post-it notes”, reminder apps. alarms e.t.c  

A good time management routine enables your child to meet the goals and targets which enhance their school performance.

It also improves their general wellbeing by reducing anxieties around lateness and unmet targets.

 

2. Know How To Prepare A Meal

Get your child involved in meal preparation, cooking and washing up from a young age.

By 13, they should be able to make a snack e.g a sandwich or use the microwave independently.

They should also be confident enough to make a light meal or bake by following a simple recipe.

This will help them to know what ingredients and quality to use in making a particular meal. 

You might still want to supervise your child in the kitchen depending on their level of maturity.

 

3. Know How To Clean Up

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Cleaning like meal preparation should be introduced at a young age by making it a family affair and getting everyone involved.

Younger children should be encouraged to tidy up after playtime at home as they already do this in school.

By the time your child is 13, they should be able to do chores such as

  1. Wash the dishes or load/unload the dishwasher. 
  2. Clean the bathroom
  3. Make their beds and change their bedsheet(they may need some help with doing the duvet cover)
  4. Hoover their bedrooms and communal area
  5. Load the washing machine and help out with sorting the dirty laundry

Note: This list is not exhaustive, just an idea of chores that children can do at this age.

4. Internet Safety and PANTS Awareness

Most children have a phone by thirteen and will either be on or want to join a host of social media sites. 

You need to be at least thirteen to join most sites. Make sure your child is mature enough to use social media sensibly.  

Also agree boundaries on their phone and social media use. For example agree on “no phone use” during bedtime. 

Teach your child not to share their personal details online and talk about safe apps and sites to visit. 

Keep them safe further by setting parental controls on their devices.   

Remember to engage in open conversations about their  internet use. For example, ask who they are playing Xbox with and how they know them. 

Let your child know they can come to you if any issues arise online. 

PANTS Talk

Teach your child how to stay safe from sexual abuse by having the PANTS Talk when they are much younger.

This should be reiterated as they grow and mature. 

PANTS is an acronym coined by  NSPCC to teach children the underwear rule. PANTS means:

  • Privates are private
  • Always remember your body belongs to you
  •  No means no
  • Talk about secrets that upset you
  • Speak up, someone can help you.

 

5. Have Road Safety Awareness

Talk to your child about road safety from an early age.

You can start by teaching younger kids about how to cross the road, how to spot hazards when walking or riding their bicycles. 

By the time your child is 13, they should have road safety awareness and the ability to get to a destination (e.g school) safely.

They should be able to use an app to find their way to a place of safety if they are lost. 

You can access Think for road safety awareness teaching resources.

 

6. Know How To Contact Emergency Services

It is important to educate your child on what to do in an emergency. 

Teach your child how to call 999 on the land phone or their mobile phone if they are out.

Explain to them what an emergency looks like and ask questions about this.

You can use role-play to bring this to life.

7. Have The Ability to Work Independently

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Younger children can be taught to work independently by teaching them how to do a task, helping with the task or watching them do it.

By 13, your child should be able to do a number of tasks independently, including taking responsibility for their school work. 

Older children have further developed their independent study skills during the lockdown as many families had to juggle working from home while homeschooling their kids.  

Encouraging your child to work independently helps them to develop independent problem-solving and self-sufficiency skills.

Don’t forget to check in occasionally to see how they are faring.

8. Basic Money Management Awareness

By age 13, your child should understand the basics of managing money e.g how much change to expect when they pay for public transport or buy sweets from a shop.

Allow your child to take responsibility for managing their money if they get regular pocket money or birthday money from relatives.

However, teach them budgeting skills by encouraging them to save for something they like e.g a new pair of trainers.

 Have conversations with your child about money so they know that money does not come in endless supply. 

Support your child to learn further money management skills and how to use a debit card by opening a kids account such as  gohenry bank account. 

Conclusion

Many children are quick learners with the right support and motivation.

Supporting your child to learn these 8 life skills will boost their confidence and prepare them for independence.

Let me know in the comments below, what other skills you feel are important. 

 

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26 thoughts on “8 Important Life Skills Your Kids Should Have By Age 13”

  1. Johnson Abimbola

    Thanks NaijaUKmum. These important life skills will definitely be a resource 3 growing social or religious group. We will love to have a workshop on this skills in our organisation.

  4. Ally

    These are some great tips! You’ll never know when they are going to come in handy! I believe it’s important kids learn these young so it will stick with them! Great post. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  5. Rupali

    That’s quite a comprehensive list you have put up. I have a son who is nearing his teens and he is doing most of the stuff you have written. So well done 👍

  6. Linda NZEKWU

    It is also important that they are thought how to show respect to their elders . In this age where children have been thought that their opinion matters, there is a tendency that some of them can feel that they are grown up. In Africa, we show respect to elders even when we don’t necessarily agree with some of their viewd and opinions

  7. Kimberlie

    As an elementary teacher and mother, I completely agree with the 8 skills you’ve identified that a child should know before they become a teen. We have too many people without basic skills struggling into adulthood

  8. Giangi Townsend

    What a fantastic post. I was thought all the above at the age of 10 and it has helped me so much in life. I have been teaching the same to my son since a very early age. I get a bit irritated when I hear mothers complain that their kids do not help them, yet they are not doing a thing to teach them. Kids need a good example as well as good guidance.
    Thank you for sharing.

  11. Margaret

    Fantastic tips! I think the last one is one that all kids definitely need to have. Understanding how money works, and building good habits about saving and spending is so key. Giving them an understanding of how credit cards work (even though they don’t have one themselves at that point), is key too. I remember my mom kept telling me when I was about 13 that I should not use a credit card unless I could pay it off immediately. It was for building good credit only. It’s helped me immensely in my spending habits.

  13. Steve

    Nice write up NaijaUKmum on these life skills especially point #7 ability to work independently. The way things are going in the world today, every child will require these skills and some creative skills to make it to the top. These skills will prepare them to meet up with the demands of tomorrow. Ability to Work independently will help a child sharpens his/her creative abilities. In the world of creativity “catch them young” is very essential. I look forward to more write up on some of these things. Thanks and keep the good work.

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