From using chopsticks to doing cartwheels, there are plenty of life lessons that British parents think children should be taught – 55, to be exact.
But most importantly, every child should know to remember to say “please” and “thank you”, according to 80 per cent of adults.
In a poll of things that every parent should make sure their little one knows, respecting your elders was voted as the second most important thing to teach a child while having good table manners came third.
The other 55 life lessons revealed in the study of 2,000 parents by Chessington World of Adventures include practical skills such as learning to swim, knowing how to bake a cake, brushing your teeth twice a day and knowing not to talk to strangers.
Riding a bike is one skill that every parent should teach their child. And there are some slightly more bizarre responses in there too. Knowing how to open a champagne bottle, for example.
“It’s interesting that the top three things on the parental teaching list are all to do with ‘behaviour’, and how the child 'appears’ to others,” says psychologist Donna Dawsonis.
“Parents are clearly worried that their children will reflect badly on them. And this is just part of the anxiety that parents feel generally. We can afford to relax a bit more, as many of the 'must do’s’ on the list are not under their full control, and the burden of teaching is not solely on them.
“It is the little everyday interactions with our children that are the real teachers: what we do, is even more important than what we say. However, rather than becoming unduly anxious about it all, parents should take each day as it comes, and remember that they are only human.”
See how many of the top 59 life lessons you can tick off…
1. Always say please and thank you
2. Respect your elders
3. Show good table manners
4. Always tell the truth
5. Don’t talk to strangers
6. Brush your teeth properly twice a day
7. Treat others with kindness
8. Be confident
9. Be helpful
10. Admit when you’re wrong
11. Work hard at school
12. Know when to say 'No’
13. Save money and spend it wisely
14. Be independent
15. Learn how to swim
16. Appreciate wildlife / animals
17. Show compassion
18. Accept defeat with grace
19. Deal with rejection and disappointment
20. Comfort others
21. Have a peace relationship
22. Don’t walk home alone at night
23. Get along with people you may not like that much
24. Always look on the bright side
25. Distinguish needs from wants
26. Support yourself financially
27. How to add, subtract, multiply and divide
28. Look someone in the eye when talking to them
29. How to tie a shoelace
30. Eat your greens
31. How to ride a bike
32. How to write a thank you letter
33. Tell the time on a clock with hands
34. How to make your bed
35. Always accept a challenge
36. How to deal with tragedy
37. How to resolve a dilemma
38. How to negotiate
39. To always clear your plate after dinner
40. Read before you go to bed because it’s good for you
41. How to drive a car
42. How to throw a ball
43. Don’t get involved in unnecessary dramas
44. Watch TV and play video games in moderation
45. How to read a traditional map
46. How to dress for an occasion
47. How to bake a cake
48. How to give a firm handshake
49. How to dive into a swimming pool
50. How to write an essay
51. How to wrap a present
52. How to change a flat tyre
53. How to fly a kite
54. How to start a fire
55. How to pitch a tent
Ghorbani
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