Skills You Can Learn Alongside Your Child

by: Isabella Goode

For those parents that want to take a lesson with their child, here are my suggestions on the best skills you can learn alongside them to help you bond and enrich both your lives.

Knitting Or Needlepoint

Beyond basic mending, many adults don’t have much skill in knitting or sewing, but these skills are great as they allow you to unwind and give you a vital ability that will help later in life. Use YouTube or books to learn how to knit with your child and create cute clothes you can wear in the colder months. If you want to take up sewing, use patterns from the internet or kits that you can buy from craft shops and do them alongside your little one so that you both get to learn this new skill together.

Swimming

Being able to swim is an important life skill for everyone, and so you should help to teach your child to swim. With this skill, you will need to have some swimming ability yourself to be able to help your child to learn, but it will still be a great experience for the pair of you. Parent and child swimming lessons will give the both of you the chance to have fun in the water safe in the knowledge that every precaution has been taken to keep you both safe and happy.

A New Language

Children often learn a new language as part of their studies at school, so it could be fun for you to join them and learn alongside them. If they’re not learning a language at school, or they don’t like it, then try using a gamified language learning app for adults and kids, as this will make learning fun and allow you both to pick the language you want to learn. You can then talk together in your new language and shut yourselves away from the rest of the world.

A Sport

Combine getting active with learning by taking your child out and playing a sport with them. Racket sports like badminton or tennis are great for learning alongside your child, as you can easily play either together or with others as part of a doubles team, tournament or club. It doesn’t have to be a particularly active sport; you could select a more sociable option such as bowling or darts. Whatever you decide to take up, use the sport as the chance to have fun and make great memories with your child at the same time.

A Musical Instrument

Learning to play a musical instrument is both great fun and a useful skill that can improve your concentration and reduce stress. Many instruments are great for both children and adults, so find one that you’d both like to try and pick some easy songs that you both like listening to. You can bond together over your shared taste in music and your new skills playing your chosen musical instrument.

Baking

Crafting delicious cakes, biscuits and other sweet treats is a precise science that requires dedication and skill. It’s also a great way to bond with your child, as you can both have fun making a mess and creating treats you can indulge in afterwards. Your projects don’t have to be extravagant creations worthy of The Great British Bake Off; there are loads of simple, kid-friendly baking recipes out there for parents and children seeking to use their shared love of food to get closer and improve their baking knowledge.

Hair Styling

For parents of girls, learning to style their hair into the latest cute trends could be the perfect way for you to learn a new skill and really connect with your child. It’s great for dads as well as mums, as you can practice something you’ve probably not had to do before. Braids and plaits are great for children and you can show them how you put them in as you do them yourself, allowing you to teach them as you learn the skill yourself.

Dancing

Kids love to dance, and there are many fad dance crazes or basic dance moves that you and your child could learn together. You could also attend a parent and child dance class together and sharpen your moves as you have fun and bond with one another. By attending a class you’ll also both be being sociable, as there will be other parents and children of all ages attending, meaning you can both make new friends.

For parents looking to bond with their children and make the most of their time with them while they’re young and dependent, learning alongside them is the perfect activity. You and your child will both enjoy the experience and also learn skills that will be beneficial throughout your lives.