A lot of these things used to be common sense, learned from the family values observed every day. Nowadays, not so much. Maybe if they were taught in school, many kids wouldn’t start down a road that ends badly or takes a long time to recover from.
How to react when stopped in a car by the police – How many young people start a chain of events that ends badly because they do not know how to react when stopped by the police while driving? Everybody has seen this on “Cops!” Teach kids to pull over, stop the car, shut off the engine, roll down the window, and put your hands on top of the steering wheel. If it is dark, turn on the interior light. ‘Yes Sir” and ‘No Sir” is a good idea too.
How to do CPR – I just saw a news report where a 17 year old girl saved the life of a 9 month old baby because she had just learned CPR in school a few weeks before. How many lives could be saved if everyone in the country knows CPR? Many may not retain the information, but some will remember it the rest of their life. They don’t have to pass the class and be certified by the American Red Cross; just give them the training.
How to do the Heimlich Maneuver – Thousands of people die from choking every year. The Heimlich Maneuver is a very simple way to save these people. It requires no equipment, just training. It’s a lot simpler to apply than CPR and should be easier to remember.
Basic First Aid – My Supply Sergeant was walking on a beach in Florida when he came across a group of teenagers gathered around a girl whose foot was bleeding profusely. He told one of the boys to take off their tee shirt, fold it up and apply direct pressure to the wound, a basic first aid step. He said that didn’t sound right and thought you were supposed to let it bleed to keep the infection out. One of the group retrieved a cell phone and called 911. The 911 operator told them to fold up a piece of clothing and apply direct pressure until EMS arrive.
Basic Budgeting – Too many people run out of money before they run out of week. They don’t worry about the money in their wallet until there is none. Some is poor planning and some is poor priorities. Your boss will not care that you don’t have gas in your car to get to work because you just got a new tattoo.
How Credit Cards really work – There’s more to credit cards than being able to buy something that cost a lot and just pay a little every month. Not understanding interest, late fees and what paying the minimum monthly payment does over time can keep a person in debt for a long, long time.
Saving for emergencies – One small financial problem can spiral into a major debt problem or even bankruptcy just because a person had no savings or emergency fund. If your transmission goes out, it can cost you $750 from your emergency fund or $2500 or more charged to your credit card after you pay the minimum payment till paid off.
Saving for Retirement – There’s no guarantee that the company you retire from or even Social Security will still be solvent when you retire. You can trust others to handle your retirement income, or take care of it yourself. I remind people all the time that the greeter at Walmart isn’t there because it is a fun job; they are there because they didn’t plan for their retirement.
Gun Safety – Too many kids receive their gun safety training from television or first person shooter video games. Everyone needs to know basic gun safety rules so if they are around someone who is being unsafe, they can correct them or leave the area. Just my personal opinion, but I think everyone should know how to properly unload most types of weapons.
How to Change a Flat Tire – My son told me about a fellow employee who was sitting in their car with a flat tire. He asked if he needed help and he said no, he had just called AAA and they would be there in a hour or two as they were kind of busy. My son asked him why he didn’t change it himself. He was answered with a blank stare.
How the Law works as an Adult – Kids don’t realize things change when they become an adult. As a kid on the playground, you can threaten to kick another kids butt and get away with it, but as an adult, that is assault or terroristic threatening and you can be arrested. You can push a playmate down with little ramification, but as an adult, that’s battery. If you are in a car with a friend and he stops at a gas station, whips out a gun, robs the attendant then shoots him, YOU can be charged with murder. Kids need to remember this when choosing their friends.
There’s no Free Lunch – Hardly anything is really free. Somebody paid for it and will somehow be reimbursed. The cost of the free gift is usually figured into whatever you bought to get the free gift (Got my first new motorcycle because it came with a free microwave. The microwave was a bribe to the wife so I could buy the motorcycle). Anything free from the government is paid for by somebody. It was most likely paid by someone with a higher income who pays more in taxes. Many people are okay with this until they become the one paying higher taxes so someone else can get free stuff.
Vehicle Maintenance – Compared to when I started driving, vehicles are practically maintenance free. No more tune-ups with electronic ignition. Stuff last longer. Fluid changes are farther apart, BUT STILL NECESSARY. I see far too many young people that never do anything to their cars until they stop running. By then it’s too late to save the engine or transmission. The usual excuse is they don’t have the twenty bucks for an oil change or front end lube. When the engine or transmission fails, then they need a hundred time that original $20 to fix it. Or they buy another car staying in debt, sometimes rolling the unpaid debt from the first car onto the second. A vicious cycle that never ends well.
How to Cook – How many kids leave home without the ability to cook a hot dog in boiling water? You’d be surprised. This leads to dependence on fast food restaurants to survive. No wonder obesity is a major problem. And eating fast food two out of three meals a day can put a major dent in a young person’s budget. Frozen, prepared meals are barely a step up from fast food. They are expensive and contain high levels of sodium and preservative chemicals. Canned and boxed dehydrated foods are not that hard to fix and much cheaper. The food you get from a restaurant may be the same food you buy at the grocery. You are just paying the restaurant to heat it up.
Basic Unarmed Self-defense – Not black belt karate stuff, just a few basic moves to momentarily stop an attack, break a hold or momentarily stun the attacker allowing the attacked person to escape. At the risk of being labeled sexist, this may be of more value to females than males.