5 Skills to Learn Before We Leave the Nest

Let's be honest, people, we need to learn these things. Maybe some of you will read this and be like, "Wow Christina, you're an idiot, I'm so great at all these things, you're going to be a failure at life", but I feel that almost everyone has at least one or two of the things below to work on. The first step to progress is realizing we have a problem. We've got a few things to learn before we're considered "grown ups" and that's okay. We're all in this together, 18 plus crowd.

Photo from real-estate.com.au

1. Taxes and Other Moneyish Things

Or anything bank related for that matter. I've realized that I know nothing about the finances in my life. Today was actually the first day I've been present while my taxes were being done (hence the inspiration for this post), and I was completely confused. A few weeks ago, my mom told me that she had made an appointment for me, and to start gathering everything I would need. Everything I would need? Like what? I was completely at a loss for what this whole tax thing required. Do you need a lock of my hair, or a goat for sacrifice perhaps? I really think all young people should have knowledge of at least basic bank/tax/whatever knowledge. That math is a whole lot more important than quadratic formulas and algebra with more letters than numbers.

2. Talking on the Phone Without Having a Panic Attack

Ask my best friends, and they'll tell you the last thing I have a problem with is talking on the phone. I can go on and on and waste hours... but only with them. The second someone asks me to call and make an appointment for myself (exactly why my mother called to place my tax-appointment in the first place), I start imagining the awkward situations that will no doubt happen. "What if they ask me a question and I can't answer? Then we'll have an awkward silence and I'll stutter and they'll judge me and tell their coworkers about me and...." until my mother accepts I'm a psycho and does the appointment booking for me. In this electronic age, it's important for us to have telephone skills, if only to be able to make appointments and call 911. ("Hey 911, do you mind if I just text you the description of the burglar in my home? It'll make me feel way more comfortable. Okay, thanks.")

3. Running a Household and all that Jazz

And by that I mean everything, cooking, laundry, mowing the lawn, ensuring the house doesn't burn to the ground, you know, the basics. In all honesty, I know very little about this sort of stuff. I can make a mean Mr. Noodle, even scrambled eggs when I'm feeling super fancy, but I'm assuming that's not enough in the real world. Before one leaves the nest, I feel like they should probably know enough about domestic duties to not be afraid to have their mother over for dinner. (And that goes for girls AND guys!)

4. Paying Bills

I know this is covered in number 1 but I feel like it needs it's own point, because this one will just be an issue for a cheapskate such as myself. Bills are slightly less fun when you're the one who has to deal with them. Donations are always welcome.

5. Weening off the Cell Phone

I know, guys, this ones a hard one. Don't freak out and close the page yet, hear me out. Young people, myself included, spend waaaaaay too much time on cell phones. Texting, tweeting, Instagram-ing, Facebooking, and all the other social media "-ings" we do. Believe me when I say I love social media, and my phone is one of my prized possessions (I mean, what could be better than a device that can save you from boredom and awkward moments when you run out of things to say during a real-life conversation?!) but we have to remember the value of actually sitting down with our friends and spending time together. Gossiping about others in person is always better than doing so over text messages, you can trust me on that one. So go outside, squint into the sunlight (I know it's been a while, take a minute), and put the phone away once in a while.