High School Hosts ‘Adulting Day’ To Teach Students How To Cook, Clean, And Change A Tire

As young adults enter their mid-20s, many find themselves wondering why they’re missing everyday skills that seem essential for navigating life. Sure, Google and YouTube offer countless tutorials, but wouldn’t it be nice to already know how to set a budget, handle laundry, or even boil an egg without needing to look it up? One high school in Georgia is stepping in to change this, giving its students a head start with what they call “Adulting Day.

Lumpkin County High School is offering more than just academic preparation; they’re also teaching practical life skills that students will need long after graduation. Principal Billy Kirk believes that this balance is key to preparing students not only for college, but also for real-world challenges.

The Purpose Behind “Adulting Day”

Lumpkin County High School is taking an innovative approach by introducing an “Adulting Day” to equip students with essential life skills. Principal Billy Kirk, who leads the initiative, believes that balancing academics with practical know-how is key to fully preparing students for the future. “We’re trying to teach kids real-life examples. So when they graduate, not only are they college-ready, but they’re life-ready,” Kirk shared with WSB-TV in Atlanta.

By blending traditional education with practical life lessons, the school aims to ensure its students can navigate both academic and everyday challenges after they graduate.

Why Schools Are Taking on This Role

With busy family schedules and students focused on academics, many young people aren’t learning everyday skills at home. Things like budgeting, cooking, or doing laundry often get overlooked. Schools like Lumpkin County High are stepping in to help by offering programs like Adulting Day.

The goal is to make sure students don’t just leave with good grades but are also ready for the real world. By teaching life skills at school, they can fill in the gaps and better prepare students for adulthood. This shift in education is becoming more common, as schools recognize that being life-ready is just as important as being college-ready.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

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For students like Grace Wikle, who is already excelling academically, the value of Adulting Day went beyond textbooks. Grace has taken three Advanced Placement courses and earned college credits through five local college classes, proving she’s well on her way to being college-ready. However, despite her academic achievements, she admitted that before Adulting Day, she wouldn’t have known how to handle a real-world problem, like changing a tire.

“[I’d] call somebody else, call my parents, whoever is on the side of the road. I was not prepared before today,” Grace told WSB-TV.

This experience highlights a gap that many students face—excelling in academics, but lacking practical skills. Thanks to Adulting Day, Grace and her peers now have more confidence to handle everyday challenges.

The Adulting Day Experience

Principal Billy Kirk didn’t just rely on in-house teachers to guide the students through life skills. For Adulting Day, he brought in professionals from various fields to provide hands-on training. The school welcomed cooks, plumbers, electricians, and mechanics to teach students practical skills, from cooking chicken to performing CPR.

Students like Grace appreciated the opportunity to learn from professionals instead of relying on tutorials or videos. While they acknowledged resources like YouTube, the hands-on experience during Adulting Day made a lasting impact. “It’s one thing to watch a video, but it’s another to actually try these things out with experts guiding you,” shared a student participant.

This practical experience allowed students to gain confidence in their abilities to tackle real-world problems, a valuable addition to their academic education.

Whose Job is it to Teach Adulting?

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The concept of dedicating an entire day to teaching life skills may raise questions about whose responsibility it is to teach these skills in the first place. Should schools be stepping in, or is this something parents should handle at home? Ideally, parents would be the ones teaching their children how to change a tire, iron a shirt, or cook a simple meal. However, the reality is that many families are stretched thin on time, and students are often juggling packed schedules full of academics, sports, and extracurricular activities.

In the case of Lumpkin County High School, the idea of blending academic and life skills seems to be hitting the mark. By introducing Adulting Day, the school is helping students graduate not just with good grades, but with the practical skills they’ll need in everyday life.

Parents and Schools: A Team Effort

Even though schools are stepping up to teach life skills, parents still have a huge role to play. It doesn’t have to be one or the other—when schools and parents team up, students benefit the most. Schools can provide the structure to teach things like how to budget, cook, or change a tire. But it’s at home where parents can help make those lessons stick, guiding their kids through real-life situations.

For example, a student might learn about managing money in class, but parents can help them set up a bank account or talk about saving for something special. This kind of teamwork makes sure students aren’t just prepared for tests—they’re prepared for life.

By working together, schools and parents can give students the best start possible. It’s not just about academics; it’s about making sure they have the practical skills to handle whatever life throws their way after graduation.

Preparing for Life, Not Just College

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As the world becomes more demanding, it’s clear that life skills are just as important as academic achievements. Lumpkin County High School’s Adulting Day was a success, giving students the tools they need to face everyday challenges with confidence. Whether it’s changing a tire or cooking a meal, students are walking away better prepared for adulthood.

While online resources like YouTube are helpful, there’s something about learning these skills hands-on that sticks with students. And while the debate may continue about whether schools or parents should be teaching these life lessons, what’s certain is that initiatives like Adulting Day are making a real difference.

Featured image source: Freepik