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spare. Bonus : Double-check that your kid also knows how to safely jump-start their car.
create a disaster preparedness kit, where to find information during an emergency, and what to do once they’re safe. The Red Cross has advice for dealing with almost any sort of emergency at redcross.org/get-help/ how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of- emergencies . Even if your kid is already doing their own laundry, are they taking the time to sort their clothes, or do they just throw everything in all at once? Teach your kids the simple tricks that really help in the long run. Separating laundry by color and fabric types helps clothes last longer, washing jeans and graphic T-shirts inside-out can keep the colors and prints from fading, and using toomuch detergent or fabric softener is bad for both clothes and the washingmachine. Be sure to add advice on irons, stain removal, and dry- cleaning while you’re at it. LAUNDRY
step in becoming fully independent. Everyone needs to know how to monitor their accounts, track expenses, control their spending, and save money. You don’t want to get a panicked phone call three months down the road when your kid realizes they’ve accidentally spent their rent money. You can find tips on creating a budget at nerdwallet.com/blog/finance/ how-to-build-a-budget . Let’s be honest here: Unless you happen to be an accountant, the best thing any of us can teach our kids about taxes is how to find a good accountant to get them done early. Parents never stop worrying about their kids, and that’s okay. But you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself if you never got around to teaching your kid how to change a tire or balance their budget before they left home. Let your kids know that if they need you, you’ll always be there to teach them something new— or at least send them a link to a helpful tutorial on YouTube. TAXES
NATURAL DISASTER SAFETY
In an emergency, kids look to their parents for guidance. But does your kid know what to do if they’re on their own during an emergency? Getting caught in a dangerous, unpredictable natural disaster can be terrifying, so make sure your child knows how to keep themselves safe in that situation. Teach them how to
MANAGE A BUDGET
This is a skill even grown adults have trouble mastering. Managing a budget is a crucial
LIES YOU’VE BEEN TOLD Fiction That Holds Too Much Weight
YOU USE ONLY 10 PERCENT OF YOUR BRAIN
Fallacies are fed to us on a daily basis, and some are more believable than others. Here are a few popular misconceptions.
CRACKING YOUR KNUCKLES WILL CAUSE ARTHRITIS
Your brain is constantly in use. Every single action you perform, including digestion, coughing, speaking, thinking, and breathing, are all carried out by processes in the brain. There are levels of consciousness that cause parts of your brain to be less active than others, but there isn’t one singular area that ceases to work for any long period of time.
Studies show that there aren’t any dangers to cracking your knuckles, besides annoying someone with the noise. For a long time, many speculated that the cause of the cracking or popping noise was either the resetting of joints and tendons or the formation of fluid that lubricates the joints. Dr. Donald Unger was the first person to conduct an experiment with the hypothesis that cracking your knuckles doesn’t lead to arthritis. He cracked only the knuckles in his left hand for over 50 years. Later in life, both hands were arthritis-free.
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA IS VISIBLE FROM SPACE
While the size of the Great Wall is truly spectacular, that doesn’t mean it can be seen from outer space. It’s not at all visible from the moon, and even from low orbit, it’s difficult to spot the wall with an unaided eye. According to NASA, the theory was first shaken by Yang Liwei, a Chinese astronaut, who said he was unable to see the Great Wall from space. Later, a camera with a 180 mm lens and a 400 mm lens captured the wall from a low orbit.
YOU EAT SPIDERS WHILE YOU SLEEP
You may have heard this chilling myth before, but it’s simply not true. Spiders are very sensitive to vibrations — they won’t willingly approach a breathing or snoring human. It isn’t in our eight-legged friends’ nature to crawl into a person’s mouth.
2 • www.bobnortonconsulting.com
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