Hey guys, so I finished the “Life Skills” list that I was working on. These are some things, many of which you’ve probably taken for granted up until this point (Thanks Mom and Dad!) as most were likely done for you, as you were going thru grade school. You (with the guidance and help of your parents) can learn and practice these skills throughout this month and the entire summer before you get to UMKC in the fall, so that things aren’t as huge of a shock or as anxiety-provoking to you, when you have to do a lot of these things for yourself for the first time.
Some skills – i.e. cooking, will be much more applicable when you move to apartments after Year 1, since you’re not allowed to cook in the dorms with tons of appliances (at least we weren’t, since they are a fire hazard). http://info.umkc.edu/housing/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/GGL-15-16.pdf - “Because each room is furnished with a micro-fridge unit, additional microwaves and refrigerators are not permitted in the residence halls. Other appliances that may cause a fire or safety hazard may not be used in student rooms. These include: hot-surface appliances such as hot plates, space heaters, popcorn poppers, immersion coils, toasters, toaster ovens, coffee makers, George Foreman grills and any other cooking appliances. Such items brought into the residence hall will be confiscated and stored during the resident’s stay.”
For parents, the BA/MD orientation packet (http://med.umkc.edu/docs/sa/Summer_Orientation.pdf) mentions to have your son or daughter practice making choices, while still under your supervision at home, before they come in the fall to KC. So when practicing and getting comfortable with these “life skills”, don’t actually do the stuff for your son or daughter, as they are doing it. Of course, teach them, based on your years of experience, give them tips and advice, but have them actually DO IT ON THEIR OWN, in front of you, without you jumping in at every moment to try to save them, because you think they’re not doing it exactly right. Let them make mistakes, so they can actively remember and learn from them. And just as an FYI, don’t think you’ve somehow failed as a parent this entire time, just because your kid doesn’t know how to do most of these things adeptly already. Trust me, most 17/18 year olds, even the smartest, don’t, and like everything else in life, requires practice.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NOT-mZO9L3xMtg93Ep7OuEdm2-gIQdKfeEPLnET5vM8/edit?usp=sharing
As said before, CC blocks the initial part of the url, but the **** = docs[dot]google[dot]com