Life Skills: The art of making your children street smart

Like skills are like the bark of a tree. The bark of a tree protects the inner tissues from extreme weather, parasites, insects, and diseases. While the inner tissue supports a tree with nutrition and water, necessary for its growth, it is the bark that gives it strength to stand-up vertically. Similarly, life skills are like the bark of a tree. They give a child the strength to face the vagaries of life. On the other hand, education is like the inner tissue which is required for the flow of career in his life. A child who develops a stronger bark can always face the storms of life without any support.

Children’s education is a priority for parents

Recently my son went for his convocation to Vellore. He has recently graduated in Electrical Engineering from VIT and started working in Pune. My wife was keen to go for the convocation which she has been planning since he went for his engineering. But life is not easy for a middle-class family. The convocation was announced just 2 weeks back and the flight tickets were prohibitively expensive. As usual, her dreams of seeing him getting his degree, dressed in a black coat and throwing his hat in the air just vanished in thin air.

We were satisfied with his selfie pictures which he posted on the WhatsApp group and which as parents we posted on our FB wall. That night my wife just kept to herself and I also didn’t disturb her too much understanding her feelings. The next morning during our morning walk, I tried to brighten her mood. I told her that she should feel proud that he has got not one but two degrees. She was perplexed as to how two degrees? I answered that he has not only graduated in Engineering but also in Life Skills.

The Engineering College

Four years back, when my son got admitted to the Engineering college, he got 2 options – The Delhi Technological University and the Vellore Institute of Technology. Being in Delhi and from the old school of thought, I preferred DTU vis-à-vis VIT. But my son was getting his subject of choice,  Electrical Engineering in VIT, so his preference was VIT. There was a deadlock! Finally, my father and wife convinced me to send him to VIT.

One of the best places to learn Life skills is College Hostel

I and my wife accompanied him to Vellore to drop him at the college. This was not only my son’s first visit to an educational institute out of his home town but even mine. Throughout my life, I have been a day scholar and studied only in Delhi. We stayed for a couple of days at the guest house while my son got comfortable at the hostel.

I can’t forget the last day when we had to leave him behind. We got our bags packed and were about to leave in a cab. He missed one of his classes and came to see us off. I kept looking back at him from the cab, waving at him, trying to hold my tears. He was probably stronger than me. Even he was trying to hold his tears except that my tears rolled on my cheeks and his didn’t. My wife, who has hardly seen me like this was the one who just kept telling me that he will soon come back on Dussehra vacations.

The first day at school

It took 14 years from KG to class 12^th before he left for his engineering college. After spending a couple of years at the neighbourhood, pre-nursery school in my colony, he got admission in DPS, East of Kailash. I remember the first day when both I and wife accompanied him to drop at his new school. The first day is as scary for parents as it is for the child. All the students were asked to sit on the assembly floor, section-wise. I was standing just outside his class while my wife was discussing with his class teacher, inside. I was keeping an eye on him standing behind a pillar.

Sitting amongst a crowd of children, his eyes were just looking around for us and suddenly he located me. The moment he locked his eyes with me, I could see tears flowing down his cheek. However, as he had been taught that boys are strong and never cry, he wiped it with the hanky tied to his shirt pocket. That was enough ammunition for me and even I was in tears. The difference was that I had to pull the hanky from the trousers. I immediately rushed inside the class looking for my wife.

I had promised him that on the first day of his school, I will come and pick him up along with my wife. Waiting for those 4 hours was one of the most difficult times for me. And somehow that moment got captured forever and still stays in my memory.

Learning Life skills is as important as education

Education prepares your kid only partially for the journey of life. The rest is the Life skills which a child learns every day and which prepares him to face the day to day challenges. Whether it is office politics or proposing to a girl-friend, it’s life skills that come to your rescue.

Learning Life skills on his first job

After 4 years, spending in hostel and a rented accommodation, I was sure that my son will manage his show from now onwards. Initially, his company got him accommodation for 3 weeks, but that was temporary. He finally managed to get a rented accommodation, the cost which he shares with his friend, as two of them have taken it jointly.

He went and signed a lease agreement. Once the flat was in possession, he started building it just like he had learnt at home. Got a washing machine and a refrigerator on rent. He was not in favour of buying it as wanted to save on cost. Got a bed and a mattress along with bed sheets and curtains. He was buying it online or from a retail outlet depending on which channel was offering the best price.

He soon got tired of eating outside food, so decided to establish his kitchen. Now he cooks rice, dal regularly at home. With day to day guidance from his mother, he has started cooking vegetables also with the right mix of masala. Last but not least, he has started packing his tiffin for office.

He keeps telling us that he keeps a track of all the expenditure and plans his monthly budget as per his earnings. That definitely is one of the biggest life skills he has learned.

Life Skill is the second degree where he has graduated

This is the second degree for which I was congratulating my wife. It may not be an officially recognised degree like graduation but this is the most important degree which will help him move on in life.

As children graduate in life and move up the education ladder, they need skills that will make them stronger and help them face the world. So, if a child can carry his school bag and go all by himself to the school bus stand just encourage him. If he wants to go to a movie with friends or learn driving, just permit him. Once in a while ask him to go and buy vegetables and daily groceries from your nearby shop. I remember when I was young, I used to go to the market every day either to buy milk, bread or eggs. There were times when sugar was only available on ration shops and I used to stand in the queue for hours. For LPG gas booking, I used to travel in DTC bus to go to the shop which was 6 km away from my home.

We break the umbilical cord at the time of a child’s birth. But as kids grow in life, we need to break the umbilical cord of emotions once again to make them grow strong and develop better life skills.

If you have liked this story and would like to read more such similar topics then click on the link below:

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