To Attempt Suicide if Teenagers have Depression

There are many reasons why life skills should be taught in public schools. For instance, when you go into the workforce you will need to be polite and get along with your coworkers. How are parents supposed to teach their children to get along with others if they only ever see their own family? The answer is they can’t, in public schools children can learn to get along with everyone, not just their family or friends. Several parents work a lot and don't have time to cook or haven’t been taught to cook. As a result, many families eat a lot of fast food. If more people learn simple cooking skills, they’d be likely to cook more homemade, healthier meals. In public schools, students would have the time to learn this. Therefore possibly lowering obesity rates. Lastly, first aid is a useful life skill. Basic first aid could be the difference between life and death. In Michigan it is required for teachers to know first aid. If all teachers in Michigan know first aid then any teacher could teach a basic first aid class, whereas only about 34% of parents have gone to a first aid class. Manners, time management, cooking skills, and first aid are just some of the very useful life skills that would be taught if we had life skill classes.

Some people might believe that life skills don't belong in school. A lot of people argue that parents should teach their kids life skills. But, some parents can’t. According to an American Time Use Survey conducted in 2018 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average full-time employed American spends 8.5 hours working on weekdays. They spend not even an hour on any children in their household. How are parents supposed to teach life skills to their children when they don't even spend an hour with their focus primarily on that child? Another thing people say is that the other subjects might be taught less. But, life skills doesn’t have to be a mandatory class, it could be an elective. Elective classes are ones you can pick, you don't have to have them. Many more reasons could be presented to contradicted schools teaching life skills, but they can all be refuted as easily as this.

Teaching life skills to children could save lives. 20% of adolescents have depression. If children learn how to deal with depression or how to notice the signs of depression they could help their friends or get help themselves. Teenagers are 12 times more likely to attempt suicide if they have depression. Others at school might also struggle with depression. With those other students, they could talk about their depression and help each other work through it. If life skills were taught, then more people wouldn’t just live but they would live happier knowing those around them are happy too. 

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