We probably all look back at our education and think, at times, "I wish they'd taught that in school." There are things I wish my own children could have learned in school. I guess I taught them some of it, but making it part of mainstream education would be a better way to equip our kids for their futures.
1. Taxes. What is taken out of our paychecks and why, as well as sales tax, gasoline tax, occupancy tax, and so on.
2. How to choose an insurance plan (HMO, PPO, Vision, Dental, Critical Care, etc.)
3. How the legal/court system actually works. (You can't just say, "I'm going to sue you!" Do you actually have a case? What about attorneys, attorney fees, witnesses, evidence, etc.? It's a long process. Is it worth it?)
4. How to recognize bias or an outright scam.
5. How to conduct oneself in professional situations such as interviews as well as on the job whether it's at Pricewaterhouse Coopers or McDonald's.
6. How interest works, both the kind you can accumulate from a savings account or the kind that accumulates against you from a credit card account.
7. Why nothing is actually free.
8. Basic car care (or if you're in a city that mostly uses public transportation, then a study of how that works).
9. How to create a household budget with all of the essential categories.
10. How to use and take care of household appliances (stove, oven, dishwasher, washer and dryer, air conditioner, etc.) Seems simple in this high-tech world, but many young people have never had to do this.
11. How to open and use a bank account and bank terms such as minimum daily balance and overdraft protection.
12. Basic health care, nutrition, first aid, and mental healthcare.
13. How to develop and maintain healthy relationships in real life (not just on social media), platonic or otherwise.
We could probably all think of so much more! Drop an idea in the comments below. I'd love to hear them. And visit Thursday Thirteen for more fun lists.