Teach relationship skills in school

One argument that is used to discourage young people from having relationships is that they don’t have relationship skills.

That is true. In many cases they don’t. I ask this, “How does one learn relationship skills?”

When I suggested that such things be taught in school, someone said that I was a loonie. In absence of formal education in the matter, the only way for people to learn relationship skills is by being in a relationship. Sometimes friendship can help teach the same skills; sometimes having siblings can teach the same skills. But there are things that happen in relationships that don’t happen in such situations, and the only existing way to learn them is by experience.

So of course we don’t want parents seeing their kids get hurt in relationships with one another. I am a parent myself, and I don’t want such a thing for my daughter. But care must be taken to differentiate legitimate protection from being suffocating. Many parents want to protect their kids from themselves, and that can deny them growth opportunities.

What then is the right way to learn relationship skills? I have seen some useful thought on this matter in psychology; however psychologists themselves are not always right. Like anything human these people are capable of all sorts of foibles. Many do wrong without realizing they are doing wrong.

I want to see relationship skills taught in schools. It is inevitable that people will have relationships, and people need to be equipped with skills toward that effect. Many people don’t have relationship skills, and it works badly against them. In most cases what they’ve learned from observing their parents is wrong, and they need a better perspective on the matter.

I therefore advocate that relationship skills be taught in schools.