'Adulting' classes for teens and millennials are a thing now

You need to learn how to change a tire at some point in your life

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Learning to cook, filing your taxes, becoming responsible with your finances, writing a resume, earning credit and even figuring out how to sew a button onto a shirt -- these are all skills that people need in their lives, but what are you supposed to do when you're just expected to know how to do everything?

Just take an "adulting" class, of course. 

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The term "adulting" was coined by millennials graduating college who realized that they had to start doing "adult" things, such as going to work five days a week, learning to cook a perfect meal for two or even getting 30 minutes of exercise a day.

Of course, most millennials were joking about having to do adultlike chores, but that still doesn't mean that people in their early 20s know how to do mundane tasks when they're not learning them in their teenage years.

That's why one high school is offering teens adulting classes after school, so they can learn the basics of being a breathing adult human.

Bullitt Central High School in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, offered the seniors at the school the chance to participate in an adulting seminar in which a handful of different topics were covered. 

“The parents didn’t know anything about it until it started blowing up on the internet and being on everyone’s social media,” Christy Hardin, director of the high school’s Family Resource and Youth Services Center, told Today. “(The response) has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Hardin said she thought of the idea when she saw a meme on the internet that was making fun of how people learn about algebra and other school subjects in high school when they should really be learning about doing their taxes. 

“It frustrated me a little bit because we offer these classes, but it has to be an elective path that they choose,” she said. “(I thought), ‘Well, what can I do about that?’”

While other students at the school were taking the ACT, the seniors were able to choose three of 10 miniclasses that included:

  • Dorm-room cooking
  • How to interact with the police
  • Healthy relationships and boundaries
  • It’s money, baby (aka personal finance)
  • Physical fitness after high school
  • Writing a resume and cover letter, filling out an application
  • When you need to see a doctor and what level of care you need (when to go to the ER compared to family doctor)
  • Basics of checking and savings
  • Why it’s not worth the T-shirt to fill out the credit card application
  • UPS on-the-spot hiring

While this could be an upcoming trend for more high schools across America, some millennials have been taking adulting classes for a while now to learn more life skills. 

There is some harsh criticism from actual adults who say it's silly that millinnials and teens need adulting classes -- because their parents should have taught them these skills. While that may be true, many of these skills were also once a part of the curriculum in high school, in the form of home economics or shop class.

The unfortunate reality is that many of those classes are no longer offered at high schools, and participation in the family and cosumer science classes (FCS) are very low. 

According to NPR, “In 2012, there were only 3.5 million students enrolled in FCS secondary programs, a decrease of 38 percent over a decade.”

The lack of qualified teachers, budget cuts and the focus on testing have all led to the dwindling number of home economic classes, and some think it's going to be hard for these elective classes to come back. 

So, the next time you hear of a teenager or a millennial taking an adulting class, don't be so quick to make fun of their lack of knowledge. At least they're trying to better themselves for the future, right?


About the Author:

Jack is a Digital Content Editor with a degree in creative writing and French from Western Michigan University. He specializes in writing about movies, food and the latest TV shows.