This School Aims To Teach Us The Many Skills Of 'Adulting'

I'm sorry for those of you out there who hate it when nouns are used as verbs, but today we're talking about "adulting." Sure, you may hate that term, but I can't think of anything else that perfectly captures the odd tasks both large and small that only adults seem to have to do, and which school never teach us as kids. I feel that for it to be true "adulting," it needs that small burst of satisfaction at the end of the task — be it folding a fitted sheet perfectly or submitting taxes all on your own. 

If ever there was a place where verbing a noun seemed appropriate, this might be it. (And yes, I just verbed the word verb. Because that's how I roll.)

For all the compound fractions and dissected frogs of our school days, we seem woefully unprepared for the actual day-to-day tasks of adulthood. A new school in Maine is hoping to change that.

Called The Adulting School, they are on a mission to teach those odd little skills that turn young adults into actual grown-ups. Things like basic car maintenance and simple cooking skills.

Rachel Weinstein is one of the co-founders of The Adulting School, and she got the idea through her work as a psychotherapist. Seeing many young people struggling with these skills, she joined with wellness coach Katie Brunelle to launch the program. 

Offerings include private groups on social networks, as well as in-person events held at bars and restaurants where groups can all learn the skills together without feeling ashamed. Many of these skills are just assumed by our society, and yet not everyone has access to those who can teach them. 

"We go through this age-graded system, and it tells us just do this and you'll be fine," says Lake Forest College's associate professor of anthropology, Holly Swyers.

"And then you graduate from high school or from college, and suddenly, there's no more rules about, if you just do this step, that's what comes next." She explains that part of the problem is the lack of emphasis on skills-based classes such as home economics. 

The Adulting School is designed to be shame-free and welcoming, teaching classes such as how to buy home insurance, writing a resumé, or what cleaners to use for various household messes.  

Basically, they cover all those little things we never seem to know and are afraid to admit our ignorance about. 

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h/t NPR

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