By Kerrie McLoughlin

Your family has survived the testing, the essays, the applications, and the waiting game. Now it’s finally time to send your kids off to college. Here are ten important life skills to teach them before they go.

1. This is a washing machine. Teach kids how to: 1) separate darks and lights; 2) wash everything on Warm, just to be safe; 3) never put “dry clean only” clothing in a regular washing machine; 4) dry clothes on Medium for about 40 minutes.

2. Yes, you will have to cook for yourself. Start kitchen lessons with basics, such as how to scramble eggs, boil pasta, and bake pizza. Work your way up to assembling casseroles and slow-cooker meals.

3. You may have to change a tire one day. Make sure young drivers always carry a spare as well as a jack, flashlight, rain poncho, and gloves. Then show them how to change a tire. Let them practice, more than once, so they really get it.

4. Money doesn’t grow on trees. Kids can track their income and expenditures in a small notebook or Excel spreadsheet. If they know an expense is coming up, they can save for it and/or figure out income-earning opportunities.

5. There is a difference between credit and debit cards. A debit card needs a PIN because the card can immediately access money in the user’s account. A credit card needs a signature because the user is agreeing to pay interest and anything owed at a later date. Show kids how to balance a checkbook. If they don’t want to learn, say something like, “You don’t want to get that debit card declined. It’s always so embarrassing!”

6. Create a living will. This is a heavy, but necessary, discussion to have with your new adults. Once children turn 18, they are legally responsible for their own medical decisions. They need to think about what kind of medical treatment they want in the event of a life-threatening accident. A living will can outline their wishes while a durable power of attorney will assign someone to make decisions for them.

7. Make friends with Google calendar. Your kids will have multiple responsibilities—a part-time job, classes, homework, and social life—that will require time management skills. Google Calendar is a great on-the-go scheduling tool. Different activities can even be color-coded, so students can better see free blocks of time or double-bookings. Tell them to make sure to schedule sleep time, or they’ll burn out fast.

8. Get acquainted with the pharmacy. If your children take medications of any kind, this one is important. They should ask their doctor to contact a nearby pharmacy—one that takes their insurance—and order their prescriptions. When they go to the pharmacy, they should have insurance information at the ready so it can be logged in to the drug store’s database. After these steps are taken, refills should be smooth sailing.

9. Learn how to negotiate. There truly is an art to bringing up grievances and respectfully disagreeing with people. Teach kids that they don’t have to be a doormat when arguing their case with a professor, roommate, or boss, but they also don’t have to always go for the win.

10. Check out bus and subway schedules. Reassure kids that they won’t be the only students to arrive at college without a car, especially if it’s their first year. Go online for routes and times, or grab a paper schedule. Then tell kids to use their student discount to buy tickets. If they ever get confused about which bus or train to take, they can always ask a station agent.

Kerrie McLoughlin loves to write about her five kids, ages 15–21, on TheKerrieShow.com.