A few months ago I uploaded THIS VIDEO to my YouTube channel.

The video turned out to be, at the time of writing this, one of my highest viewed videos and I wondered why this was so.

Today, I came across THIS ARTICLE and it all made sense.

People are in need of identifying and learning these skills!

It also made sense why my Traditional Catholic Femininity brand became popular with non-Catholics, many of whom visit the TCF platforms and social media.

It wasn’t so much the Catholicism that drew them in; it was the fact that I also offer and share information on practical, day-to-day life skills from homemaking to emotional wellness and navigating difficult relationships.

Having a 360 Catholic experience doesn’t stop at the Church door after Mass.

It entails living purposefully out in the world, among people, in a very practical way.

This is why in my ABOUT PAGE, I mention that “Traditional Catholic Femininity is a digital platform and brand, offering a 360 Traditional Catholic lifestyle experience.”

A vast majority of adults today simply do not know how to be functional, responsible adults!!

Shocking!

It has now become so dire that a new word has been invented to describe this phenomenon:

ADULTING!

The English Oxford Dictionary defines ADULTING as:
“The practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks.” – source.

In essence, adulting describes behaviour that is seen as responsible and grown-up, which often involves meeting the mundane demands of independent adult and professional living, such as paying bills, time management, running errands and so on.

While it is indeed sad that we now live in a world where adults have little to no basic adulting and life skills; it is a good thing that classes like this are now available.

Personally, I truly believe that all schools should include in their curriculum mandatory classes for both sexes on subjects like life skills, homemaking/housekeeping, adult living, personal finance and emotional wellness.

Topics can include things like:

• Basic homemaking – such as basic cooking, sewing, clothing repairs, sewing on a button, cleaning, how to read gas or electric meters etc.
• Basic home repairs and maintenance
• Basic car maintenance – making oil checks, how to change a tyre, checking tyre pressure, jump-starting etc
• Adult living – how to book dentist/doctor appointments; the importance of regular health checks etc
• Personal finance literacy – how to balance a chequebook, the importance of retirement planning, budgeting etc
• Relationship skills – including conflict resolutions, boundary setting, identifying and learning to walk away from toxic people, friends or relationships etc
• Etiquette
• Basic First Aid

I believe that having these basic life skills will not only result in more productive and responsible adults, but also adults who are more fulfilled emotionally and able to navigate interpersonal relationships more effectively.

For example, a guy will feel no need to remain in a toxic relationship simply because the woman is great at cooking & other domestic skills – things that he cannot do himself.

And vice versa.

Yeah, yeah I know that in the past, these skills were taught by the parents in the home, but look around you.

Modern society’s family structure generally entails both parents working outside of the home, for longer and longer hours or children from dysfunctional and broken homes.

As a result, we have children that are completely unprepared for the practicalities and challenges of adult life.

Formal education is just the tip of the iceberg in raising our children.

To prepare them for adulthood, they need, not just formal education, but also sound spiritual education, as well as education in practical, day-to-day adult living, emotional wellness and navigating relationships/friendships.

This is what makes a functional, balanced adult, capable of handling whatever adult life brings.

Our job as parents, just like all other parents in the animal world, is to raise our young to grow into adults who are capable of independent living.

In that respect, many of us have failed and it is no wonder that society and morals are collapsing.

Collapsed families lead to infantile adults and thus to collapsed societies.

It is a sad state of affairs where animals in the animal kingdom are able to raise their young into functional adults better than we humans do.

This must change.

Sure, you know your ABCs and your 123s, but if you can’t sew on a button, check your car’s oil levels or have a grasp of basic personal finance, life will be a frustrating struggle.

It is my sincere hope that classes, as mentioned above, will become more commonplace in society and hopefully become a mandatory part of schools’ curriculum.

Perhaps they should be offered as a mandatory 2 year course somewhere after high school and before university – kinda like the way UK A’levels system is structured.

This way, students heading off to University are just as prepared for independent adult living as students who choose not to go to University, but either directly enter the workforce or take on work apprenticeships.

In the meantime, below are some books which can help adults learn to adult properly.

Have these adult and life skills will definitely place you ahead of the curve, both professional, as well as on a personal and interpersonal level.

Is your child going off to University or graduating from University?

Perhaps it is your niece, nephew or family friend that is going off to University or graduating from University.

As part of their Welcome or New Home pack, include a book from each Life Skill category, be it personal finance, car maintenance, first aid and so on.

Below are some great choices.

Maria, Mater Amabilis, ora pro nobis.

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 ad Jesum per Mariam

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