How you can help your teen take on the world

We live in a fast-changing world – one in which teens and young adults need to understand how best to merge the many worlds they will encounter as they leave matric and enter their chosen field of study or the job market. Apart from the demands that everyday life will throw at them, they will also need to navigate their way through new technologies, adapt to different ways of learning as they enter university, a technical institute, or even a job, and develop additional basic skill sets. What is the best way to tackle this?

We chat with Dr Corrin Varady, the CEO of an education technology company, on how we can prepare learners for life beyond school.

Teach them the importance of goals and aspirations

Teachers and parents need to teach children to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals for them not to feel overwhelmed by everyday life tasks ahead of them. This skill will be beneficial at university, where young people are starting to discover the world and take responsibility for their own learning. The ability to set achievable and personal-best goals provides in good stead in their work or business life once they start to set milestone goals for this portion of their lives.

Teach them the importance of asking for help

Every person in the world faces uncertainty at one time or another, and they should be encouraged to ask for help when this happens. It’s up to teachers and parents to help their children understand that this is not a sign of weakness but, in fact, one of strength. Asking for help, whether from teachers, tutors, parents, or senior work colleagues, should be seen as a sign of maturity, as it shows one cares enough about something to get it right. We should never allow our children to lose their passions, and encouraging them begins at home and in the classroom.

Teach them the importance of digital productivity tools

The internet is filled with digital productivity tools that can help to give young people an edge. To mention a few, there are voice-recording apps, note-taking apps, and even collaboration tools that can serve young adults well for school, university, and at work. Education is becoming increasingly digital, and accessing these online education tools is an ideal way to acclimatise a student from an early age onwards to the importance of understanding technology and realising how important digital tools will be in the life that lies ahead of them.”

Teach them the importance of pursuing a passion

Every child has a talent that they are born with. It’s important, firstly, that parents and teachers acknowledge these talents and, in turn, actively encourage children to pursue their talents in a structured manner. Whether a child seems to constantly fill her notebook pages with doodles and sketches or whether they seemingly prefer playing football to doing their homework, it’s important that we as parents first identify their natural gifts and then guide them accordingly. These talents can turn out to be important outlets for maintaining overall balance in life later on.

Teach them how to use the digital world to improve their skills

In terms of mastering technology and following one’s passion, the digital world offers many platforms online for young and old to learn more about the things that really interest them and improve their skills. These platforms will help in high school and the real world and will increasingly make young adults feel comfortable with technological advancements as and when they encounter them throughout their lives. The world is changing rapidly, and being comfortable with technology is a critical life skill these days.