What skills will ensure adult happiness and success?
The question of the day … What skills do you feel will be most important to ensure your child is a happy and successful adult?
Do you value academic skills (like literacy or maths knowledge)?
Are social skills more important?
What about life skills like problem solving, persistence, resilience?
Share your thoughts in the comments. I will put my answer in the comments also.
Comments
From a learning perspective I would like my children to be lifelong learners. I think that involves academic skills, but also knowledge of how you best learn, problem solving skills and knowing how to set and acheive a goal.
My answer is all of the above. I would love for my daughter to be a well-rounded adult, but the reality is that every person has their strengths and weaknesses. As a parent I certainly have plenty. That's why I love the access I have to other mother's sharing their ideas and experiences on their blogs. They give me ideas as a parent which further contribute to what I can offer my daughter.
I am a teacher so I regard academic skills highly, but if I was forced to choose a skill area that is most important I would have to say social skills.
Humans are social beings. there wouldn't be many people that don't crave, love, praise , recognition etc from others. We thrive or we falter because of how others respond to us. I think if you can have positive relationships with others (friends, family, teachers, employers) it sets you up to achieve in other areas of life.
Like Cath, I'd love my daughter to be a life-long learner (I'm sure she will be as both my husband and I are), but I really hope for her that she will be respecful, diplomatic, a conflict-manager, resilient and able flexible.
Does any of that make sense? I know I have rambled. The question you posed is at the very centre of my being as a parent. I take my role as a parent extremely seriously. Why do we have children if we don't want the very best for them?
I'll stop now, although I feel like I could go on and on and on.
Great question.