SKILLS NEEDED TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY
- Find affordable or accessible housing
- Plan budget
- Do walk-through for directions to their job, grocery store, public transportation, schools, post office – find distance for time required
- Find cost of public transportation
- Plan all the things they need and don’t need for apartment, dishes, condoms, sheets, pillow cases (do an inventory)
Learn to cook - Shop for groceries
- Do laundry pay bills
- Buy household items
- Learn location of Laundromat
- Fire safety
- Personal hygiene
- Take medication
- Get to appointments
- Safety precautions – lock door at night, turn off burner when cooking
- Monthly to do list with dates of what has to be done when and what has to be paid.
- Time management, knowing how to separate your study time and social life
- Safe sex, practicing birth control
- Control drug and alcohol intake
- Put notes around the house if you are forgetful
- Practice stress-reducing methods in hectic times like finals, mid-terms, etc.
- Get information of supportive services around your area
- Try to abide by a daily or weekly schedule
- Have some kind of stress relievers for stress from work or home
- Be knowledgeable with a needle and thread
- Locate information in the phone book
- Have an emergency list
- Get parking permits
- Get an ID
- Find the location of the library
- Find out about computer services
- Figure out in-home living expenses like TV, Internet, phone
- Know when your trash is picked up
- Be able to do your own shopping, like clothes shopping.
- Do your own laundry
- Learn to drive
- Get insurance
- Find out how to get tutors
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Information on adolescent development from the Spirit Lake Consulting, Inc. developmental psychology site |