My neighbor’s thirty-something son called me last week in a panic. His car wouldn’t start, and he needed to get to an important job interview. When I arrived with jumper cables, he stared at them like they were alien technology. “Nobody ever showed me how to do this,” he admitted sheepishly. After we got his car running and he made it to his interview, I couldn’t stop thinking about that moment.
It wasn’t his fault. His father, a capable man who could rebuild an engine blindfolded, had simply never passed down this basic skill. And this got me reflecting on a pattern I’ve noticed everywhere: an entire generation of practical knowledge that somehow got lost in translation between boomers and their children.
The disconnect isn’t about intelligence or capability. These younger adults can code software, navigate complex digital systems, and manage careers in ways we never imagined. But somewhere along the way, everyday skills that my generation considered basic survival knowledge never made it to the next generation. We assumed they’d pick these things up naturally, or maybe we were too busy, or perhaps we thought these skills would become obsolete. We were wrong on all counts.
1. Jump-starting a car and basic vehicle maintenance
That interaction with my neighbor’s son wasn’t unique. I’ve helped dozens of younger adults with dead batteries over the years, and most have no idea which cable goes where or why it matters. Beyond jump-starting, simple tasks like checking oil, changing a tire, or even knowing what different dashboard warning lights mean remain mysteries.
When I was coming up, these weren’t special skills. They were Tuesday. My father made sure I could handle basic car trouble before I got my license. But somewhere between then and now, we started assuming AAA or roadside assistance would always be available. We traded self-sufficiency for convenience, and our kids paid the price when they found themselves stranded with no cell signal and a flat tire they couldn’t change.
2. Writing checks and balancing a checkbook
Yes, I know checks seem antiquated now. But you’d be surprised how often they’re still needed. Certain contractors, government offices, and even some landlords still prefer or require them. I’ve watched young adults freeze when asked to write a check, unsure where to put the date or how to write out the amount in words.
More importantly, the discipline of balancing a checkbook taught financial awareness that automatic banking apps don’t quite replicate. Understanding where every dollar went, reconciling statements, catching errors. These habits built financial literacy that went beyond just checking your balance on your phone.
3. Sewing and basic clothing repair
A button falls off a shirt. A hem comes undone. A small tear appears in otherwise good pants. For my generation, these were five-minute fixes with needle and thread. Today, these minor issues often mean the clothing gets tossed or sits unworn in a closet.
I learned to sew from my mother. Not fancy embroidery, just practical repairs. Thread a needle, tie a knot, reattach a button, fix a hem. These simple skills could extend the life of clothing by years. We never explicitly taught these skills because they seemed so basic, so obvious. Now I see young professionals buying new shirts because they lost a button.
GPS is wonderful until it isn’t. Battery dies, signal drops, or it routes you through a lake. I’ve watched younger drivers become completely helpless without their phone’s navigation, unable to orient themselves or find alternate routes.
Understanding cardinal directions, reading street patterns, using landmarks. These weren’t special skills for us. They were how you got around. We could look at a map, understand scale, plan a route, and remember it. More importantly, we developed a sense of direction, an internal compass that GPS dependency seems to erode.
5. Basic home repairs without YouTube
Unclogging a drain, fixing a running toilet, patching drywall, changing a light switch. My generation learned these skills by watching and doing, often whether we wanted to or not. When something broke, you fixed it yourself or you lived with it broken.
Now I watch younger neighbors pay hundreds of dollars for repairs that take five minutes and a few dollars in parts. They’re not lazy or incompetent. Nobody showed them that the float in their toilet tank just needs adjusting, or that a plunger can solve most drain problems. We assumed they’d figure it out like we did, forgetting that we had someone showing us.
6. Cooking from scratch without recipes
I’m not talking about gourmet meals. I mean the ability to look at what’s in the pantry and create something edible without consulting your phone. Understanding basic flavor combinations, how to build a sauce, when meat is properly cooked.
My generation learned by watching our parents throw together weeknight dinners from whatever was on hand. We absorbed techniques through repetition: how to brown meat, when onions are properly sautéed, how much seasoning feels right. These intuitive cooking skills let you feed yourself affordably and healthily without dependency on takeout or meal kits.
7. Making phone calls for business and complaints
Calling to dispute a bill, negotiate a rate, schedule service, or lodge a complaint. These phone skills were basic adult functioning for us. You knew how to get past gatekeepers, when to ask for supervisors, how to be firm but polite.
I regularly help younger adults with these calls because they’ve grown up preferring text and email. But some situations still require a phone call, and knowing how to navigate phone trees, stay calm with difficult service reps, and get results through voice conversation remains valuable.
8. Writing formal letters and addressing envelopes
Thank you notes, complaint letters, formal correspondence. Knowing how to structure a business letter, where to put the date, how to properly address an envelope including apartment numbers and zip codes. These seem trivial until you need them.
The skill went beyond format. It was about organizing thoughts clearly, making your point concisely, and understanding tone in written communication. Email hasn’t entirely replaced this need. Some situations still call for formal written communication, and not knowing how makes you look unprofessional.
This might sound strange, but the ability to be fully present in social situations without a digital escape hatch is becoming a lost skill. My generation had no choice but to navigate awkward silences, boring conversations, and social discomfort without reaching for a phone.
We learned to make small talk, to read rooms, to gracefully exit conversations, to be alone with our thoughts while waiting. These micro-skills built social resilience and genuine connection abilities that constant phone access seems to undermine.
10. Haggling and negotiating prices
Everything had a price, but that price was often negotiable. Cars, appliances, services, even medical bills. We understood that asking for a better deal was expected, not embarrassing. We knew when and how to walk away, how to bundle for discounts, when to ask for managers.
This wasn’t about being cheap. It was about understanding value and advocating for yourself. Young adults today often accept first prices as final, leaving money on the table because nobody taught them that negotiating is normal and expected in many situations.
Closing thoughts
The irony isn’t lost on me. My generation prided itself on self-sufficiency and practical knowledge, yet we somehow failed to pass down these basic skills to our children. Maybe we were too busy working, maybe we thought technology would make these skills obsolete, or maybe we just assumed they’d learn like we did.
The good news is that skills can be learned at any age. If you’re a young adult reading this, don’t be embarrassed about what you don’t know. Find someone willing to teach you. And if you’re from my generation, take time to share what you know. That neighbor’s kid you see struggling with something basic? Offer to show them how. These small moments of knowledge transfer matter more than we realized.
The practical skills gap between generations isn’t about failure or blame. It’s about recognition and bridge-building. Every skill passed down is a small act of empowerment, giving someone tools to navigate the world with a little more confidence and capability.
