Life Skills Inventory — How Ready Are You?
The teen conducts an honest self-assessment across practical life skills — cooking, money management, transport, health, household maintenance, communication, and digital literacy. Rather than testing or quizzing, this is a candid conversation about what they can and cannot do independently, followed by building a concrete learning plan for the gaps. The parent's role is to be honest too — not to rescue or reassure but to confirm realities.
Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.
What you'll need
No materials needed. This works best in a relaxed setting where honesty feels safe rather than shameful. The parent must resist two urges: reassuring ('you'll figure it out') and criticizing ('you should know this by now'). The tone is collaborative assessment, not judgment.
How it works
- 1~45s
Let's go domain by domain. your child, rate yourself honestly on each one: SOLID (I could handle this on my own), SHAKY (I sort of know but would struggle), or CLUELESS (I'd have no idea). Here they are: cooking a basic meal from raw ingredients, doing laundry properly, managing a monthly budget, getting yourself somewhere on public transport or by driving, making a doctor's appointment, handling a minor household repair, having a difficult conversation with someone in authority. Rate yourself on each and explain your rating. you, confirm or challenge each rating. Be kind but be honest. Tell me the ratings and any disagreements.
Watch for: Accuracy and honesty of self-assessment — can the teen realistically evaluate their own competence without inflating or deflating?
- 2~40s
your child, look at your SHAKY and CLUELESS areas. Pick the three that scare you the most — the gaps that would cause the most real-world damage if you had to handle them tomorrow. Now for each one, I want you to figure out: WHY is this a gap? Is it because you were never taught, never had to, or actively avoided it? And what would it actually take to learn? Not 'I'll figure it out someday' but specific steps, resources, and timelines. you, tell me which gaps your child prioritizes and whether their analysis of WHY they exist is accurate.
Watch for: Ability to analyze skill gaps, understand their root causes, and create actionable learning plans
- 3~40s
Last question, and it requires both of you to be honest. your child: overall, how ready are you for independence? Not 'when I'm 18 I'll be fine' but RIGHT NOW, today. What percentage of adult daily life could you handle? And you, same question about your child — and I want you to also answer this: what skills have you not TAUGHT because it was easier to do them yourself? That's not blame — it's pattern recognition. Both of you, what's one thing that changes starting this week? you, tell me both assessments and the commitment.
Watch for: Realistic assessment of independence readiness and willingness to actively close the gap — from both teen and parent