Essential Life Skills for Teens

 Essential Life Skills for Teens, David Skiddy, Independently Published, 2022

This book presents some ideas and tips to help teens navigate this hyper-fast world.

There will be days when life totally stinks, when you feel overwhelmed with problems. It could range from getting a bad mark on a test, to breaking up with your significant other. There is no way to change the actual event, but you can change your reaction to it. The book gives details.

Have you ever tried setting personal goals for yourself, and staying committed to that goal until it is accomplished? It can't be a vague "I want to. . . " It must be specific, and measurable, and optimistic and have a time limit. It also needs to be written down and posted where you will see it, every day. You must also commit to doing at least one goal-oriented thing, every day.

The book also talks about time management. Some tasks are urgent and important, like studying for a test at school. Other tasks are not urgent or important, like hanging out with your friends. Concentrate on the urgent and important tasks first, and leave the others for later.

A big subject for teens is financial literacy. The book gives some ideas for making extra money, like blogging, dog walking or lawn mowing/snow shoveling. To begin to control your spending, write down every expenditure. Perhaps some of them can be eliminated; you might be very surprised. The author also talks about saving money, even if it is only one or two percent per week. There is also a chapter about staying safe online.

This is a gem of a book. It is very easy to understand, and is recommended for all teens, younger and older. For some, this book might be common knowledge, but the tips in here still bear repeating. This easily gets 5 stars.