Raising Responsible Kids: Life Skills Every Parent Should Teach

So listen — the other day, I had a conversation with my oldest son that lowkey had me side-eyeing myself. We were talking about his summer job (which I’m super proud of him for holding down, by the way), and the topic of money came up. More specifically, how quickly he’s been spending it. Chile, he’s out here living like he got direct deposit from Beyoncé’s payroll.

Now, don’t get me wrong — him having a job has been a great thing. But what it’s also revealed is that I’ve assumed way too much when it comes to his financial knowledge. I guess I thought certain things were just common sense, but then I remembered: nobody’s born financially literate. We have to teach it — and that teaching starts at home.

1. Financial Literacy Starts With Us

I took my son to the ATM recently and told him, “You do it.” He was confident… until the machine kept declining him. Turns out, he changed his PIN and forgot it (teen brain strikes again), and he also didn’t understand the difference between savings and checking. He kept trying to withdraw from savings, which led to a whole lot of beeping and error messages.

What I realized in that moment was: it’s not enough to open accounts for our kids — we have to walk them through what they mean. Let them know what each account is for, how overdraft works, how to use a debit card responsibly, and that those $7 Chick-fil-A runs every other day will catch up to them.

Tip: Set your teen up with a simple budgeting app like Greenlight, or even a handwritten spending tracker. The goal is to help them see their money come and go — and ideally, more of it staying.

2. Teach Them To Advocate For Themselves

Whether it’s choosing classes in school or navigating peer pressure, I need my kids to know: your voice matters.

I tell them all the time, “Don’t just do something because someone told you to.” If a class doesn’t align with their goals, they should feel comfortable asking questions, speaking up, and pushing back if needed. That same confidence will help them when they’re faced with real-world decisions — like jobs, college, relationships, or any situation that makes them feel uneasy.

Tip: Model it. Let them hear you asking questions at appointments or in stores. Let them see you say “no” with confidence. It helps normalize self-advocacy.

3. Chores Have No Gender

I tell my boys all the time: “My name is not Molly. I am not your maid.” And I say it with love… mostly.

There are no pink jobs or blue jobs in this house. Everyone takes out the trash. Everyone knows how to load the dishwasher correctly. And yes, you’re going to learn to clean a bathroom — because no woman should have to raise a man who doesn’t know how to scrub a toilet.

Now, I’ll admit — they’ve mostly done a good job with this. But something about summer break had them thinking chores were optional. Not in this house, baby. The trash doesn’t take itself out just because it’s July.

Tip: Create a rotating chore schedule and post it. Make it visual. That way there’s no “I didn’t know it was my turn.” Oh, you knew. (Sidebar: I tried this with my boys when they were younger and it didn’t work but hey, if it works for your household, you should definitely do it.)

A Few More Lessons I’m Passing Down:

4. How to Cook More Than Ramen.
Teach them how to make a basic meal — eggs, pasta, rice, or even something in the crockpot. You don’t want them calling you at 22 talking about, “How do I boil water again?” The air fryer and griddle have been life savers for my anxiety about my boys using the stove.

5. How to Handle Rejection & Failure.
Life is gonna knock them down. It’s our job to show them how to get back up, not pretend life won’t hit. Let them fail sometimes, and help them talk through what they learned. That’s where growth happens.

6. Respect for Themselves and Others.
This isn’t just “be polite” — I mean teaching them that how they treat others (especially women, elders, and service workers) says a lot about their character. And how they treat themselves sets the tone for what they’ll accept in life. In the black southern household, we are taught that respect will take you farther than money can, and I preach this to my boys all of the time.

Final Thoughts:
There’s so much we assume kids will “just figure out,” but the truth is, they need guidance, examples, and lots of patience (emphasis on lots). I’m not trying to raise perfect kids — just good humans who know how to stand on their own and make wise choices. And I’m learning right alongside them.

If you’re a parent, what’s something you’ve taught your child that you know they wouldn’t have learned in school? Drop it in the comments — I’d love to hear!