This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Campbell Soup Company for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

As my home now houses two teenagers and a third is soon on the way followed by a fourth a few years after that, I have begun to see that some action needs to be taken to help them become more self-sufficient. While school work prepares them with knowledge of key information and some rather worthless information too, it doesn't do much to prepare them for the mundane tasks such as doing laundry, cleaning the house, preparing their own meals, etc. You are even lucky if it teaches them how to sign their name in cursive. That's where we as parents have to step in, and why I have made the move to try and teach my teenagers some skills in self sufficiency.

1, Laundry

Teenagers, and especially boys seem to be clueless as to how the whole laundry process works. It's like they think some pixie dust is sprinkled over the clothes and instantly they are washed, dried and folded in their drawers. The reality is, that unless your want your teenage boy to grow into a man who might confuse the washing machine with the stove or sport an entirely pink wardrobe from bleeding colors, it might do well to teach them how to start doing their own laundry.

2. Housecleaning

Now trust me, I know what type of attitude and grumbling you can be faced with when you try to give a teenager the task of actually cleaning something in your home, but its for their own good. I don't mean just turning them loose with a rag and hoping for the best, I mean actually teaching them how to clean properly. When they don't grow up to visit the hospital due to the raw chicken residue on their counter tops, they'll thank you.

3. Preparing Their Own Meals

Now, this doesn't have to mean full out gourmet 8 course dinners. Teaching them how to operate a microwave or boil water can be enough at first. I homeschool, but our lunch break is when I get a lot of my "work' done. I want the boys to have a hot lunch, but I don't want to have to cook it. So, I have taught them how to prepare meals like Pace® and Prego® Ready meals. Campbell's has been a staple in our home for a long time, always creating innovative new products that are easy to make and taste delicious, and the Pace® and Prego® Ready Meals are the latest additions.

Available with delicious Italian and Southwest flavors, Pace® and Prego® Ready Meals are easy to make and are ready to eat in just 60 seconds. Trust me, even a grumbling teenager can figure this one out. You get the same great flavors you love from brands you trust like Prego® and Pace®, but in a fraction of the time and without the hassle of pots and pans, just open and microwave for a hot and delicious bite to eat! Check all of Campbell’s new products and score delicious Campbell's recipes that you can teach your teenagers on their website. 

What steps do you take to help make your teenagers more self sufficient?