Survey Reveal Life Skills Parents Find The Hardest To Teach Their Young Children

Mathematics is also an area in which parents struggle to teach their children.

When it comes to teaching young children essential skills, some things are undoubtedly more trickier than others.

And it’s more than just struggling to get the kids to eat the meals they are adamantly refusing.

A poll of 2,000 parents revealed that tying shoelaces, whistling, and eating with cutlery, are among the toughest skills to pass on to their young children.

Image source: iStock

The study commissioned by PACEY, the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years shed light on the experiences of parents who have spent much more time indoors with their children due to the pandemic.

According to the survey, parents may be pressured to take on the dual role of caring for their children as a parent and teaching them to develop important skills as a teacher.

The fourth most challenging skill to teach children is how to ride a bike, followed by telling the time and using buttons.

Rounding off the top 10 activities in the list, are how to teach children skills such as swimming, brushing their teeth, trying different foods as well as writing their names.

Noting that parents are facing so many pressures now, PACEY chief executive Liz Bayram seeks to reassure them that every child is unique and that they will develop skills at different times.

“Try not to compare children with their siblings or friends – some adults still struggle with things like whistling and riding a bike,” said Bayram.

Still, despite the challenges faced, parents remain steadfast in helping their children develop these skills, and 83% of parents said that they take pride in doing so.

Further down on the list holds some of the most essential life skills that parents find trickiest to teach—but are needed on a daily basis.

Image source: iStock

These include teaching children how to use the toilet or potty, getting dressed, putting toys away, and explaining the difference between left from right.

Mathematics is also an area in which parents struggle to teach their children. Teaching children how to count to 10 and 20 were highlighted as major challenges in the poll, in addition to teaching them how to count money.

And beyond these tangible skills, other crucial ones that parents struggle with include teaching children how to cross the road safely and sharing things with other children.

The list goes on, with many more challenging tasks that come with caring for children such as introducing them to household chores.

Teaching children how to set the table and wash the dishes, for example, is not as straightforward as parents think.

That said, little ones catch on things fast and the survey found that 78% of parents were amazed at the speed of how their children are developing and picking up new things.

And above all else, Bayram reminds: “Parents are going through such a lot at the moment and need to be kind to themselves – no one can be a full-time teacher, parent and worker all at once.”


40 Toughest Life Skills to Teach Young Children
1.	Tying shoelaces
2.	Whistling
3.	Eating with cutlery
4.	Riding a bike
5.	How to tell the time
6.	Buttoning a button
7.	How to swim
8.	Brushing their teeth
9.	Trying different foods
10.	Writing their name
11.	Putting toys away
12.	How to blow your nose
13.	Tying up hair
14.	Getting dressed
15.	Washing hair
16.	Making a bed
17.	Putting dirty clothes in a laundry basket
18.	Learning parents’/home phone number
19.	Colouring inside the lines
20.	Learning to tell your left from right
21.	Sharing things with other children
22.	How to count money
23.	Zipping a zip
24.	Using a potty/toilet
25.	How to cross the road safely
26.	Learning their home address
27.	Adding numbers
28.	Doing a forward roll
29.	Counting to 20
30.	Swinging on a park swing
31.	Helping with cooking
32.	How to wash dishes
33.	How to load/unload the dishwasher
34.	Counting to 10
35.	Hopping
36.	Knowing the alphabet
37.	Washing face
38.	How to set the table
39.	Washing hands
40.	Riding a scooter

Now that you have seen the list, perhaps this presents a good time for you to observe how else you can utilise the time at home with your kids.

Ultimately, what you should know is that every activity with your children presents an opportunity to acquire a myriad of learning and developmental skills—and maybe for yourself too!

ALSO READ:

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Written by

Jia Ling

pollchild developmenthousehold choresskills for kids

40 Toughest Life Skills to Teach Young Children