I agree this should be a standard requirement. Thanks for your comment.

Yes would could call it Life Skills or Life Hacks!

Would you suggest we bundle all of these into a new Life Skills class or add them to an existing curriculum?

I agree. Thanks for your comment.

All good points. My youngest son actually got comprehensive sex education in the 9th grade. But he was in a gifted school. I doubt this is a nationwide standard.

@kensmile4u saw this recently and that's why I added sex-ed.

Good points. Maybe each school should add a conflict resolution class or perhaps add this responsiblilty to the existing guidance counselors office.

@LimitedLight Do you recognize that we have an international group of thoughtful intelligent people on this site who represent an opportunity to learn about what is being taught in high schools? I already know what is being taught in my area. My next door neighbor is a school psychologist. I have many friends who are teachers and professors. I myself have been a corporate instructor and a volunteer science teacher at local schools. We talk about the same topics I posted. I think you are being presumptuous in dismissing what we know.

@LimitedLight That's a good common sense point. We all use the term "If you don't use it you loose it". So we agree memory loss and the quality of instruction are contributors to our national intellectual deficit. But at least they were given the opportunity to learn. It's better to expect they have the capacity to remember everything. IMO There is nothing more oppressive than the bigotry of low expectations. Having said that the best thing we can do is expect more from them and figure out which tools are the most important to teach them next.

@LimitedLight I don't think low expectations are the main cause to what's not being taught. In fact I think the vast brainpower potential is recognized and intentionally oppressed. Consequently I think low prioritization and the resulting low funding are the oppressive mechanisms which cause inadequate breadth of topics.

This is a good idea but is it the right age to target? Do 18 year old kids have the maturity to comprehend the gravity of elderly care? Thanks for your comment.

@kensmile4u Actually, I think this is a college course that should be required. But, I'd say senior year.

No, I don't think 18 year olds aren't mature enough. But, you never know when it will come.

What would this course involve? What kind of care? Dealing with insurance and Medicare. When and how to take the car keys. Planning a funeral. When is it time for assisted living.

My wife and I have both dealt with various parts of it. Man, it ain't fun.

@phil21 Thanks for your wise comments.

I really don't think college is the time for that, definitely not HS. Things change all the time in the government. My oldest is 33, I am now 60. What she would have learned then is already outdated. Beside not every HS/College student is going to have to take care of an aging parent or other relative. My siblings and I didn't have to. My sister and I dealt with planning a funeral for a relative, we knew she wanted cheap. It was so hard to persuade the funeral home to stop showing us the Cadillacs and drop down to the Ford line.

I have three sons. Two of them are grown. One of then is currently in high school. None of them were taught the skills mentioned in my post by their respective high schools.

@kensmile4u understand. What I am trying to say is that schools cannot teach them everything. I am saying the best bet is to teach them how to learn by themselves as they move forward in life

@IamNobody I understand there will always be disinterested students. But we can't assume they represent the majority and subsequently make decisions that deprive our culture an opportunity to improve itself.

I disagree, you can’t lump them all together like that. My kids are 19 and 17. My oldest graduated high school with a 3.9 gpa and took quite a few AP classes. She was so focused on grade I actually told her at one point that high school isn’t only about grades and she needed to make sure she was having fun too.

@Marcie1974 maybe Alzheimer is getting the best of me? I could've swear I wrote a longer description of my thoughts. Above message seems truncated in the middle and changes the context. My point was that maybe what young kids need to be taught is to listen and to work hard, then everything will fall into place.

@Marcie1974 holly macaroni, it is Alzheimer !! I did write a longer post few messages above !!!.... Man, getting old really sucks !!!!!

@IamNobody lol!!!

@Marcie1974 I know !!! Right??? ??????

That's a good common sense point. So we agree lack of motivation is a contributor to our national intellectual deficit. But at least they were given the opportunity to learn. It's better to expect they have the capacity to learn everything. IMO There is nothing more oppressive than the bigotry of low expectations. Having said that the best thing we can do is expect more from them and figure out which tools are the most important to teach them next.

@kensmile4u there is always something new to be discovered. If only we can convince young minds to do that.....

@IamNobody I agree that quality teachers are needed to ignite the minds of our children.

I agree. Thanks for your comment.

hahahaha Thanks for your comment.

Sorry but this is one thing i would eliminate. I have been a lifelong proponent of printing because it simplifies a teachers job trying to interpret student's writings. The time saved by eliminating cursive could be used to teach life skills.

@kensmile4u cursive was perfectly readable by teachers throughout our entire history until the past five years... Boohoo to the dumbing down of America. Cursive is a life skill that I've used since learning it unlike many of the other be classes you're forced to take that you literally never use.

@kensmile4u "millennial teachers."

@Clauddvon Think about us all having to learn two ways to write math, two ways to write history, two ways to write every other academic pursuit. It's just not efficient.

@kensmile4u They already do. Common Core has "recreated" many ways of doing Math that wasn't difficult in its old-fashioned way of being done. The "new" ways are more convoluted than ever before.

@Clauddvon You get my point.Teaching english writing two different ways is inefficient. It's also out dated due to all the the digital communication. You might as well be asking for calligraphy to be resurrected.

@kensmile4u I still write in cursive today...I don't write in calligraphy, so they aren't the same. Cursive is efficient, pretty, and still needed if you sign checks.

@Clauddvon I print my name on everything. It's my legal signature. No need to go back and forth. Cursive is phasing out in the classroom and in real life for the valid reasons I listed. There is a small group of people who like the old fashioned idea of writing in cursive. Enjoy...

@kensmile4u where are your statistics from? Saying there's a small group doesn't mean it's true. Enjoy the dumbing down of our youth.

Good points. Thanks for your comment.

I agree. Thanks for the comment.

I had a choice between Home Ed or shop. I chose to learn mechanics and woodwork in shop. The mechanics have helped me my whole life.

@kensmile4u
Help you with your house work ???

@VAL3941 Yes in a way. It helped me build my house.

@kensmile4u
Who cleaned up after ? Lol