WebedtecH

Zen Habits has a great posting about 27 skills your child needs to have.  I’ll summarize the list, but I recommend you take the time to read the whole list in detail:

Financial:

• Saving
• Budgeting
• Paying bills
• Investing
• Frugality
• Credit
• Retirement
• Charity

Thinking:

• Critical thinking
• Reading

Success:

• Positive thinking
• Motivation
• Procrastination
• Passion

Social:

• Anti-competition
• Compassion
• Love
• Listening
• Conversation

Practical:

• Auto
• Household
• Cleaning
• Organization

Happiness:

• Be present
• Enjoy life
• Find purpose
• Develop intimate relationships

It’s funny, with all the writing and postings I’ve done over the years seeing this idea on ParentHacks.com has been the most exciting for me recently!

Art’s hack should be posted at all quick-mart checkout counters:

With warm weather upon us the requests by my children for the {insert brand name}ee frozen drink of choice at the local convenience store has risen with the temperature.  Along with that goes the complaints by the kids of “it’s too cold” and the occasional dropped drink due to frosty fingers.  I’ve tried the napkin/paper towel route (falls apart quickly) and the second cup (seems like a waste).  It was the day when I was getting my cup of java at the same time that the idea struck me.  When I slid the hot beverage carrier sleeve over my coffee (the little folded cardboard doughnut they hand out for free with your coffee) I slipped one on each of the kids drinks as well.  No more cold fingers, no more dropped drinks, and oh blessed quiet as they happily slurped away.