To me, a "skill" is something with practical value. And one skill that meets both the practical and value criteria is financial literacy, which is necessary in order to learn and understand financial responsibility.
Kids get interested in money at a young age, from what I've noticed, and a parent can use that interest to teach basic concepts, including math. My son was a "little capitalist" in elementary school, and my stepson is the same way - if the interest is there, a parent can run with it.
Provide kids with a container to use as a bank for cash at home; you can also introduce them to "the" bank by opening a savings account for them and taking them there to deposit birthday checks and the like.
But saving doesn't just mean putting money away and keeping it somewhere; you can take opportunities to teach saving for specific goals, too, such as a special outing or a computer game. The practice of saving up for something you want can't be reinforced enough these days, it seems to me.
Taking kids on shopping trips helps them learn how to determine whether something's worth spending their money on - encourage them to bring their own money with them! - and reinforces the saving-up lessons. Just because they have the money and can buy something doesn't mean they should.
An allowance is very important tool in teaching finances. Some parents tie it to household chores, some don't - that's your choice. However you do it, it helps them learn about earning money for themselves. Older kids can start to pay for some of their own expenses, such as lunches and entertainment, out of that money, which helps them get a grasp of the everyday money-management skills they'll need as adults.
Money is one of the tools that makes the world go 'round, like it or not, and kids need to learn how to use that tool responsibly.
Hey, what answer would you expect from an accountant?
(I may expand this into an article here, now that I'm thinking about it...but I'll still post this as a note anyway.)
