Life Skills for Teen Boys

As a mom of boys, I always try to make sure that they are learning things that are going to help later. But that brings up the question of what life skills teen boys need to know. And how do you know what they are going to need to know when they leave the house.

There are some basic life skills for teens that need to know. Things like cooking, cleaning, and shopping. But I think that there is more that they should know too. If you have teen boys then you know that things like hygiene, first aid, and laundry can be a struggle too.

So I decided to write about the things that I’m currently teaching my oldest. Who will be leaving the house in a few short years.

I need to know that he can do all these things correctly and without help. The reason is that he has nystagmus and has limited vision. So him knowing how to do all these things is important.

Affiliate Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links to products or services. This means I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. More information can be found in our Privacy Policy

Why Teaching Life Skills is Important

It’s so important for us as parents to teach our teens these because before we know it, they will be out in the world and taking care of themselves.

Such things as cooking and shopping are important for them to know. Sure they can bring over the laundry if they are close. But what about if they decide to go to school on the other side of the country? That’s why it’s necessary to make sure that they know how to do all the things.

These are in no particular order but these are the main life skills for teens that they will need when they start out on their own.

Cooking

You don’t have to teach them to be a chef. But they should know how to cook basic meals. They need to be able to make sure meat is cooked all the way through and to put together basic meals. That way they don’t have to order out all the time. Because let’s face it, they are probably not going to have a ton of money when they first leave home.

Grocery Shopping

Having them tag along and see how you do the shopping is a great way to start. But one thing that I make sure to do is to show them how to find things on sale. Or how to use coupons. They also learn how to check dates on food and to compare prices for name brands vs. store brands.

Laundry

My oldest has been doing his laundry (when he remembers) for about two years now. He knows how to use both the washer and dryer. And what settings he needs to use for different things.

Budgeting

Like actually making a budget and sticking to it. They need to know how much money is coming in and where it goes. And they need to be able to pay bills and keep track of spending so they can stay on top of things. This is something that I had to learn on my own. And I wish that it was something that I had learned earlier in life. It would’ve made my twenties a lot more fun.

Problem Solving

This may seem like a no-brainer. But it’s something that I’ve noticed with some of my younger co-workers. They have a problem with something and have no way to figure out a solution. But if you make sure that your teen knows how to find the answer to any question, they won’t have the same issues.

Clothing Shopping

I include this because most teen boys don’t buy their own clothes. As an experiment this year. I gave my oldest a gift card with his school clothes and supplies money on it. That’s all. I had him pay for everything he needed for two reasons.

It put the responsibility in his hands
And it encouraged him to look at prices differently.

This way he looked at how much things cost and figured out the tax and everything. He stayed within budget and even had some leftover to use for other things.

Basic Hygiene

This is a big one and should probably be higher on the list if you have boys you know. I have lost count of the times I’ve asked “did you shower recently” or “did you brush your teeth?”. Cologne and body spry will only get them so far in life. They need to be in the routine of taking care of their bodies.

Basic First Aid

They need to be able to care for cuts and burns correctly. That way they can avoid having to deal with infections or anything else.

Credit Management

This is another big one that I wish someone would have explained to me when I was younger. It would have saved me a lot of time and money. They need to know how credit works and how to monitor and use credit cards. This will keep them from having too much debt as they get older.