Things To Learn Before Going Out In the World

Things One Should Learn Before Going Out Into the World

Copyright ©2002 2005 Sarah Sheard

Health

How to swallow a pill
How to treat a cold, the flu, or a speck in the eye
How to get enough sleep
How to get yourself up at a consistent time of day
How to handle an accident or injury to others when blood is present
The shortcomings of birth control

Self

What to do if you’re stranded
What to do if you think a friend has serious problems
How to stick to a task, even though you decide halfway through that you hate it
Integrity: to only make promises you can keep, and to keep them
How to swim
Self-control…How to control your temper when you’re angry but it’s unwise to show it
How to keep a secret
When to call in an authority
How to prioritize
How to say NO graciously
How to suffer fools

School

How to study
How to pay attention in a lecture.
How to find needed information in a library and online
The difference between schoolwork and learning

Home

How to cook several different well-rounded meals
When food in the refrigerator is too old, and how long fresh meat and fish will keep
How to handle chicken, ground beef, and eggs
How to clean a kitchen and a bathroom
How to vacuum a rug
How to do laundry, including separating whites and colors, use of bleaches, washing and drying, and hand washing
How to change batteries in smoke detectors and other items in your house
What kinds of hammers, wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers there are and how you use them

Transportation

How to drive safely (enough to pass the typical driving test, but more practice)
How to plan a route by reading maps
How to get to a known place from a place where you are lost
The procedures to follow a car accident such as exchanging names and insurance information
How to navigate an airport, including ticketing, security, gates, and baggage claim

Citizenship

How to register to vote and how to vote
What to do if you are faced with getting into the car of a person who is impaired by alcohol or drug consumption
How to get a bank account
How to make a budget
How to use a credit card, library card, etc
Understanding the liability of credit card debt
How to write a check
How to balance a checkbook

Other

How to throw and catch a ball
How to change a diaper.
How to start a fire, from just a match and found material
When to look up rules in an etiquette book

How I teach this stuff:

Expect them to do it
Tell them what they’re doing right

You have good judgment
You can do this

Be genuine
Get out of the way

Presented at Beyond IQ Conference, Reston, Virginia, November 5, 2005.