How to Teach Life Skills to Children in India

Life skills should be part of every school curriculum, but in India this is not always possible because of the student-teacher ratio. Given the size of the population in India, it is only possible for the elite schools to spend time and money on teaching life skills. Life skills include factors like making the child aware of potentially dangerous situations, helping her build self-confidence and teaching her to manage her time and improve her communication skills. Every child is taught life skills at home, and by re-enforcing the same in school, you will make the process easier.

Instructions

1. Help him communicate better. In India, there are 1,652 regional languages, and English is spoken widely by most of the educated population. But the child may be accustomed to a different language at home, as Indians tend to speak their mother tongue at home and English in official surroundings. So the child has to be made comfortable in his chosen language of communication and made to understand that it is OK to make mistakes. This is an important life skill for Indian children because the reluctance to speak for fear of making mistakes may lead to lack of confidence later.

2. Help build her self-confidence. This is essential when the child is in a group at school and also when at home. You have to make sure to correct any misbehavior on the child's part with patience and understanding, and without shaking her confidence.

3. Make him aware of dangerous situations like talking to strangers and going off on his own. You will have to make him cautious but not necessarily scared. The crowded streets and the varied population makes this a crucial life skill for children in India.

4. Time and money management are life skills which will have to be taught at home more than at school. In India, children are usually not allowed to handle money, so this is more of a cultural issue and depends on the parent.

5. In India, it should not be difficult to teach a child to respect herself and others. Most Indians have a strong sense of respect as a part of their culture, so build on that and re-enforce respectful attitudes whenever you can.

Tips & Warnings

• Though most Indian schools have abolished corporal punishment, some still resort to hitting and slapping. Please refrain from such medieval practices and stick to detention and time-outs. Children will learn life skills better when shown respect.

• Always remember that children look up to teachers and parents; you have to lead by example.