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IPFS News Link • United States

Stanford Dean: 8 Basic Skills We're Failing to Teach Young People

• https://fee.org, Annie Holmquist

Last week, former Stanford dean Julie Lythcott-Haims made a list of eight skills every 18-year-old should possess. The list ran as follows:

An 18-year-old must be able to talk to strangers.

An 18-year-old must be able to find his or her way around.

An 18-year-old must be able to manage his assignments, workload, and deadlines.

An 18-year-old must be able to contribute to the running of a house hold.

An 18-year-old must be able to handle interpersonal problems.

An 18-year-old must be able to cope with ups and downs.

An 18-year-old must be able to earn and manage money.

An 18-year-old must be able to take risks.

Straightforward and simple, right?

But according to Lythcott-Haims, the culture of coddling and protection we have built has made an 18-year-old with all of these skills a rare occurrence. Parents' reluctance to give children chores, let them out of their sight, or even fight their own battles on the playground has, in essence, failed to teach basic responsibility to the next generation.


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