Basic Adulting Card (BAC)

There are certain things that every adult SHOULD know how to do. Shockingly, many don't. After many conversations about that very lack, some of my friends and I proposed that each person should have to earn their Basic Adulting Card, by proving to have the basic skills to take care of themselves in the real world. And until obtaining that Basic Adulting Card, no one should be turned loose upon the world to annoy the rest of us. And so, a list of requirements to be a 'real grownup' was born. Think of it as Home-Ec for everyone. Feel free to suggest additions in the comments.

 

Household Basics

- be able to make a bed neatly

- cleaning basics - washing dishes, chemicals for cleaning

- basic home maintenance - changing lightbulbs & air filters

- appliance maintenance - clean the oven, dryer lint trap

- yard maintenance - mowing

 

Food Basics

- grocery shopping

- be able to cook at least three simple meals for two or more people (suggestions - baked chicken, spaghetti, hamburgers)

- know how to read a basic recipe and successfully prepare something

- be able to make a pot of coffee

- Nutrition

Clothing Basics

- put on a button

- iron a shirt

- hem pants

- doing laundry

- tie a tie

Vehicle Basics (driving is covered in drivers' licensing)

- how to check/add fluids

- change a tire

- jump-start a car with jumper cables

- preventative maintenance (getting your oil changed)

- when to call a mechanic

- buying a vehicle

- what to do after a wreck

 

Financial Basics

- balance a checkbook

- monthly utilities, cutting on/off, reducing use

- credit cards, loans, and interest

- debt

- budgeting

- filing taxes

- retirement planning

Shopping Basics

- sales & discounts

- warranties

- making returns

 

Basic Literacy 

- be able to read a flyer

- write a note

- thank you notes/letters

Social Basics

- introductions

- personal hygiene

- telephone etiquette

- dating skills, red flags/signs of abuse

- social boundaries - drawing yours and respecting others'

- scheduling/planning - using a calendar, making appointments

Diversity Basics

- diversity & tolerance

- other cultures - language, behaviors, foods

- world religions

- alternative gender, relationship, & sexuality identifications

 

Technology Basics

- Electricity - Surge Protection, Breakers, Safety

- Basic Computer use - using a mouse & keyboard

- Online security - information to not share, questions to not answer

- searching the internet

- Email basics - sending an email, phishing attempts

- buying something online

- Cell Phone Etiquette (when to silence your phone, hello/goodbye, setting up voicemail)

 

Health Basics

- Infection - Treatment & Prevention

- Symptoms - When to call a doctor/911

- Sexual Education - names & functions of body parts, consent & boundaries, STI prevention, birth control

- learning about medications

- finding a doctor

- uses & types of therapy

- types of neurodivergence

 

Childcare Basics

- changing a diaper

- holding a baby

- feeding babies/children

 

Legal Basics

- signing a contract

- Insurance - home, vehicle, health, life

- Wills & Trusts, Power of Attorney

 

Employment Basics

- create a resume

- apply for a job

- interview skills

 

Emergency Basics

- what to do in a fire

- how to swim

- calling 911

- Basic First Aid

 

Basic Civic Responsibility

- Public Servants/Service

- American history, world wars

- Government, Voting

 

Other

- planting and growing things

- general animal life cycle

And these are just the basic basics - things most of us learned growing up, just as part of living. But not everyone has parents or adult role models that can and do teach these things. Yet they are things everyone should have base-level knowledge about. So maybe a test to see where you're okay, then classes on the pieces you don't have. A final test to earn that Basic Adulting Card, and now you're officially considered able to take care of yourself! Maybe you have to show that BAC to be able to sign a contract or else you get some remedial BAC classes?

The problem though, is what happens for folks that don't or can't or won't earn their BAC? Who is responsible for them?

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One option I'd love is that there is a whole year of Adulting that follows High School, instead of going straight to college. We don't have to mess with the current educational system (that's a whole 'nother topic). But after High School graduation, these now-young-adults don't go straight to college. Instead they are expected to take a 'gap year' to experience life as an adult individual, whether that's travel, volunteering, or getting a job. After that year, they can decide to do college or trade school or just keep working or whatever.

But at the beginning of that year, after High School graduation, they go take their BAC test. If they pass with a demonstration of all this basic knowledge, they are done with that. If not, there should be (free) classes offered at various times they can take while working or whatever, so they can learn how to be independent adults. And they can retake the test as many times as needed.

Colleges shouldn't accept applications from High School seniors - you have to both finish High School and get your BAC before you even start applying, including applying for scholarships. So it's expected to finish school, take a year to experience being an adult, or catching up to being an adult, then start college, if that's the path they choose.