NEW LONDON, P.E.I. — NEW LONDON, P.E.I. - Do you know how to adult?
That is to say, do you know how to do income taxes? Cook? Do laundry? Clean? Buy a house? Budget? Sew a button?
And so on, and on and on.
Well, just in case you never learned how to do these things, for whatever reason, – the New London Community Complex is here to help.
The community facility is hosting a series of upcoming classes under the deceptively simple title – How to be an Adult.
Using ‘adult’ as a verb has become an informal way to describe carrying out basic life skills, thanks mainly to its use as an Internet-based idiom.
It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it also reflects a real problem with modern society, said Stephenie Moase, director of New London Community Complex and one of the ‘adulting’ class organizers.
“I find there are just a lot of people who just don’t get taught (these skills) anymore,” she said.
The idea for the classes came from a conversation between Moase and Julia Stewart, a local blogger who also teaches classes about cooking and homemaking skills.
Moase participated in one of Stewart’s programs at the Kensington Community School, after which the women discussed the need for more people to learn basic life skills, which led to the idea for the adulting-themed classes.
“I feel like there is a need in our society to help young-adults transition from living at home to living on their own,” said Stewart.
But it’s a problem that cuts across generations, she added. Seniors also run into problems when a spouse they’ve relied on for some aspect of their life, such as finances or even laundry, dies. With that broad appeal in mind, the classes are open to anyone, there is no charge and participants are not required to pre-register.
Stewart is teaching the first class on Jan. 28, starting at 7 p.m. She will cover healthy meal planning and shopping on a budget. Students will be cooking up a big pot of chili.
“The meal planning – I have it designed so it will save your mental energy, it will save time, it will save money and it will result in healthier eating,” she said.
The idea for the How to be an Adult classes have proven popular online, said Moase. So, she is crossing her fingers that this will translate into people showing up for the classes.
She’s also heard from people looking to teach classes, so the intention is to keep these adulting tutorials going for as long as there is interest.
For schedules and updates about the classes, check out the community complex’s Facebook page.
