Photo by Anthony Fomin on Unsplash
By Anna Lascols, Organizing Geneva
Everyone knows that growing up is a challenge. For some blessed individuals it seems to be easy, but most of us stumbled upon one or the other obstacle on the way. Be honest with yourself: did you prefer playing outside or finishing your homework? Did you fight with your parents about tidying your room? Did you have to invent strategies enabling you to come home after 11pm? Did you secretly smoke with your friends thinking how cool you were? How did you end up paying your first bill, not talking about submitting your taxes while preparing your meal plan and signing up your kids for activities? How did we actually get to learn all these dull things adults have to manage?
Somehow, we got were we are right? We fought our way through the jungle, we fell and stood up again, we failed and succeeded, we laughed and we cried. We became a real adult. We can be proud.
Wait a minute, maybe some credits should also go to our parents, who were our worst enemies when it came to partying and curfew time, but who most probably gave us some hints and rules on how to grow up. Making a bed, sewing a button, baking a cake, keeping a schedule, managing a budget, eating healthy, being polite…whatever it is, thanks dear parents!
Generations changed however…believe it or not, there is a new word for growing up in the 21st century jungle: “Adulting”. Kids seem to believe that this process is so strange and incomprehensible, that some of America’s greatest universities like Berkeley created classes on Adulting. To help their students grow up…to teach them about taxes, nutrition, time management, bills and home duties. Teens are lost nowadays when it comes to all the practical admin and household tasks.
The question is, why? How did we manage to adult, without attending classes? What has changed? Is it because they want to grow up faster…as in “enjoy your life and manage all the rest in 6 modules”? Or is it because today’s parents are so focused on hyper-protection and academic results that they forget to teach how to manage life? How to cover the basics?
Well, one thing is for sure…if you are 25, starting a new job and have never heard about cooking, cleaning, organizing, budgeting or scheduling…you might want to attend one of those Adulting academies.
If you are a parent and you haven’t missed the train yet, go for it! Teach the hell out of your kids! Involve them in your daily routines and delegate whatever you can. Show them how to handle the house, how to fold their clothes, how to manage their money and how to find their resources. Instill confidence in them, hand over some responsibility, trust them. Don’t force it upon them, instead lead by example, have fun, spend quality time together.
Children need to train for real life starting at the very young age! They need to fail and try again, they need laugh and cry. It will serve them so much more than studying all day long, being the best in class or getting one more award. It will prepare them for the jungle, and they will adult without having to graduate from UC Berkeley! Good luck 🙂
Author's Bio
Anna Lascols is the founder of Organizing Geneva and your decluttering expert.
Her mission as a professional organizer is to improve people’s lives by coaching them how to set up and maintain efficient systems to keep their time and space in order. Anna helps her clients to visualize their ideal lifestyle and works side-by-side with tem to reach their goals. These can range from redesigning their closet à la Marie Kondo to getting their paperwork under control, improving their time management skills or preparing for the arrival of a baby.
Anna is a KonMari Consultant and a member of the Swiss Association of Professional Organizers (Swiss-APO). She works in and around Geneva and provides her services is English, French, German and Spanish. She offers personal organizing sessions, virtual coaching and organizes workshops on various organizing and zero waste topics.
To learn about Anna, please visit her website: https://organizing-geneva.com
