Being a parent means the list of things to teach our children is endless and that is why we’re here to help. We have put together “The 10 Things All Dads Must Teach Their Children by 13”. This list is in no way complete but if you haven’t yet started on these items I would get to work.
Swimming
Besides your kids needing to know how to swim for safety reasons, it’s also just plain fun. One the greatest memories I have as a child is spending my summers going to the local swimming pool. Who doesn’t love smelling like chlorine all while slowing turning your shoulders from white to pink to brown.
Please and Thank You
Everyone loves a kid with manners and if you, as a parent, don’t enforce them early it might never happen.
Tying Shoelaces
Nothing is sadder than seeing an adult with Velcro shoes (and maybe a fanny pack). You can stop your child from ending up with Velcro shoes by just spending sometime with them and their shoes. (See here for our video on shoelace tying)
Chores
Like any father in this country, I’m just marking off the days on the calendar before my son will be old enough to start mowing the lawn and doing other chores around the house. If you don’t get your kids involved in the chores before 13 you’ll (probably) end up doing their laundry until they’re 26.
Riding a Bike
I understand that if you live in the city or way out in the country it might hard to find a place to teach your child the fine art of riding a bike; that is no excuse. A bicycle is the first step towards independence for a kid, plus riding a bike is a skill set you can use for the next 70 years.
Bird & the Bees
No parents wants to explain “The bird and the bees” to their children and no kid wants to receive that talk, but it must be done. Ten years ago you could have gotten away with waiting to give the “bird and bees” talk to your kids until they were closer to 15 or 16 but now with the internet it’s going to have to be before 13.
The Internet
When it comes to the internet and your child it can be a tough balance. You don’t want your kids spending too much time surfing the internet but on the other hand we need them to become as handy with a computer and the internet as we can get. All future jobs will involve a computer in some way and the earlier the kids start working with them the quicker they can start down the road of education.
Calling 911
An accident is called an accident because it is unexpected and that means you’ll need your children trained to call 911. With more and more homes getting rid of their land lines, families are going to need to rely on their cell phone as the way to reach 911 and that means teaching a little ones how to turn on your phone, get to the dial pad, dial 911 and then hit the dial button.
Read A Watch
Like riding a bike, learning to read a non-digital watch is a skill that will serve your kid for as long they live. You can also explain to your children that guys who wear a nice watches just look cooler than ones wearing a Casio Calculator watch.
An Allegience
Whether the allegiance to their favorite sports team, the local university or the Girl Scouts, it’s important for a child to develop some form of loyalty early. A healthy allegiance teaches children the idea of team work and the need to work hard to get ahead. A girl who gets involved with the Girl Scouts also becomes a good hook up for Thin Mints.
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