This is the last in the continuing series of functional skills your child should know before he/she leaves the house. The following has been excerpted from the Chicago Tribune. These skills don’t necessarily fall into any specific category but are truly indispensable for fostering independence in your children. Never underestimate the value of thank you notes!
And again, the ages are only guidelines.

In the kitchen:: No reason a 2- or 3-year-old can't help out, learning the basics of measuring and stirring, maybe even making their first peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich. A 4-year-old can learn to prepare a simple salad (scissor open the bag of prepared salad and pour on some dressing); at 10, a child can chop, slice and dice with supervision (even younger if you have a push-top dicer); by 11 kids should be able to make a grilled cheese or scramble an egg.

Open a can:: Have them master it by 7, says Ginny Bean, creator of the home furnishing and gift Web site ginnys.com. "Especially when they're doing feed-the-pet- chores," she says, adding another chore to the list.

Use a corkscrew: Not till they're 18, Bean says, "if they have a job waiting tables at a fancy restaurant. And no other reason."

Thank you notes: Have I mentioned these before? As soon as a child can write his or her name, gifts should be acknowledged in writing.

Telephone skills: By the time they're 6, youngsters can begin to learn phone etiquette.

At the table: By 4, they should know to chew with their mouth closed, use a napkin and excuse themselves.

Navigate a multicourse dinner party: "Ask Amy" columnist Amy Dickinson says "kids as young as 3 can be taught to sit without wiggling too much through a basic meal, to put their napkins on their laps, say 'please' and 'thank you' and ask to be excused." By the time a child is 8 or 9, she says, "they are completely capable of handling a longer dinner, and I think it's a great idea to include children in adult dinners."

Meeting new people: When they're 4 or 5, kids should be taught to stand and approach people -- not just adults, but kids too -- to greet them, making eye contact and shaking their hand.

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