You know when you are no longer married or have your best friend near you, you start to find and discover yourself all over again. I married young; I was 20 when I tied the knot. I never fully had the experience and independence that most people do in those years because of being married. For 11 years and then some, I thought he was the one and went head over heels for him.

The truth of the matter is that at first, I was, of course, sad and scared when I realized the divorce was going to happen. I felt alone and mad. Despite that, I had to change my mindset. I had to change what I was thinking and figure out how to overcome and gain closure.

Once I started to work on my mindset, I realized that I love being on my own. I LOVE IT!

Leftovers. I have found that I can save money by eating leftovers. I will actually eat them until they are gone and not mind! Rather than eating them to save money, why waste food?!
No need to cook anything fancy. I don’t need to make full entrees and fancy food that will sit in the fridge for days and be wasted. I used to cook so much, never eat the remainder, and end up throwing it out. Now, some days I don’t really cook at all. We might have sandwiches, pizza, or chicken nuggets. I try to keep our food balanced, don’t get me wrong, but there are days we spoil that a little.
No one to complain. There is nothing worse than coming home after a long day and being nagged. I love being able to wake up in the morning on my own, have those moments alone, and clear my head mentally so I can prep for a great day.
No real need to worry. If the house isn’t clean or the laundry isn’t done, I don’t have to worry about feeling guilty and rushing to tidy. I don’t have to ask for help; I can just do it whenever I get around to it.
Better finances. I know that I don’t go out and spend my money foolishly on anything that I don’t need. The desire to go to the gas station and the store all the time to be happy and spend money vanished. I can manage my money and budget quite well now.
New friendships. When you go through a divorce, you lose friends or remove them from your life because you don’t want to choose sides. You must find new friends that can relate to what you are going through. I have made so many new friends that I couldn’t even imagine living without them.

I have learned to embrace the whole divorce journey and being on my own. You need to find the beauty in a new chapter; otherwise, you will live a miserable life for the rest of your days. I can live the way I want to without feeling bad or guilty about it now.

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We have complied 10 important life skills for children at young ages to acquire. It’s important to get them started young, and these are very useful to have them learn as they prepare for the school years ahead.

COOKING:

Ask your child to help you. Something as simple as mixing the batter, or getting out the ingredients for a recipe is a great way to keep them interactive with you.

SURVIVAL SKILLS:

You can take your kids to survival camps. This will not only help kids learn how to “survive” without technology but it will teach your kids skills such as how to build a shelter, cook over a campfire,etc.

HOME GARDEN BASICS:

Your kids can learn basic skills about how water and weather can affect plants growth. An example is how watering is important and needed in order to grow the food we want to eat.

FIRST AID SKILLS:

Children hurt themselves quite frequently, so its important for them to know how to fix their boo boo’s but also their friends as well.

SWIMMING:

I cannot swim and I wish I knew how; I hate water and I don’t want my kid to grow up with the same fear his mother has. This teaches them how to be self sufficient.

MONEY MANAGEMENT SKILLS:

Money is a necessity in life whether we like it or not. Have them pick out a gift with their allowance, or even show them how to budget a small item.

LAUNDRY:

Every kid should learn how to wash their own clothing. It could be a great reward for the both of you as they start to get older. Allow them to separate the loads and put them in the washer.

HOUSEHOLD REPAIRS:

Children are always eager to know more about everything that is around them. Allow them to watch you as you replace a light bulb and get them to understand how to do it.

DEFENSE SKILLS:

You can’t be with your kids all the time to protect them. This is something that can be taught by someone in your family or at a class. They need to understand stranger danger and how to protect their self in an emergency.

TIME MANAGEMENT:

I still haven’t mastered this one yet, but it is important for everyone to have. Allow them to understand their daily schedule and when they have personal free time; this can help them understand tim much better.

Helping your child to learn these items at a young age can help your child develop great in the years to come. Have fun learning with them and be patient.