Parents, stepparents…or anyone else who raised you.
We all know, of course, that they taught us to walk, talk, dress ourselves, use the bathroom properly,
deal with strangers, respect each other, and so on, but sometimes parents teach their kids special things–using another language, for example.
When I was 8, our Dad had the three of us, my older brother (9), younger sister (6) and me watch as he changed a wheel on the car. Only so much of this could any of us do then; but all three of us, of course, learned to drive, and I’m sure Gary and Janice remembered what Dad taught us.
We have also had pets, and our parents taught us not to praise, or show affection to, one cat or dog while ignoring the other. That must have convinced the little guys we didn’t play favorites.
Please post your examples. 
No General Question here. Moved to MPSIMS.
samclem, moderator
That women are tougher than men, and to take no shit from anybody.
I think one of the most important things my father taught me was the importance of not volunteering information when speaking to authority (teachers, boss, the police, etc). Answer questions honestly and completely, but don’t embellish or add unnecessary details. Wait until you are asked. It has served me well.
This question comes up periodically on the Dope. The first thing that comes to my mind is always that my mother taught me to shuffle and deal cards like a pro… and to play them close to my chest.
–My dad taught me my compass directions, how to read maps, and how to give directions to someone else.
–My dad also taught me to never turn my wheels to the left when stopped waiting to make a left turn. In the event I’m hit in the rear, I won’t be pushed into oncoming traffic.
–My mom taught me how to be a strong, independent woman.
Damn, I miss them both.
Tons of stuff from how to build a house, how to turn that house into a home, and how to always leave a small corner for making your own liquor.
My mom always said, “You have to be able to support yourself. Don’t be dependent on a man.” Even today, I think people should be sure that drive that point home, based on the SAHM boards with unhappy wives who want a divorce but can’t afford one.
Speaking of money, please do so with your children. My parents said to never put a vacation on credit. Money is a series of choices: buying this means you aren’t saving for that. It has served me and my credit score well.
My Dad taught me how to identify which period a piece of classical music came from by listening to its structure and harmonies. Every time I hear a clip of an orchestra in a movie or whatever, there’s a little voice in the back of my head going Yeah, sounds like the Romantics, alright.
Both my parents were librarians, and taught me the value of the Dewey Decimal system. Oh, and reading. 
My mother taught me it’s not worth it to have children. That’s what she insisted, and I guess she was right, because the wife and I don’t have any, and I’m happier than my mother ever was.
I grew up in an earthquake zone. My mother taught me, “If there’s an earthquake, go to the front door and hold it open. The earthquake could make the doorframe shift shape, and it if does, the door could be jammed in place and you could be trapped.”
We had a thick, steel door, so kicking it through if jammed wouldn’t work. We lived in a tall apartment building too, so the windows weren’t an avenue of escape.
Both my parents, but especially my father, taught me that it’s better to go look something up and learn for myself than it is to just take somebody’s word for it.
This is kinda weird, but in a way, I learned all this from my Dad. He rarely set out to “teach a lesson”, but more showed me “how to think”. Which has allowed me to figure out how not to walk through oil puddles in the grocery store parking lot, to wiring a 220v system in my shop for a welder, to replacing a cylinder head on a straight 6 BMW, framing, welding, roofing, accounts payable, credit, collections and all the other skills I’ve managed to half-ass.
Organization, priorities, work ethic and value.
My old man taught me to think.
I’m still workin’ on it! 
That’s what I was getting at, but you said it better! 
How to light a cigarette in the wind or rain, and how to field strip a cigarette so you can take the butt with you.
Dad is a Vietnam vet.
Dad also taught us to play poker. I got four queens in my first hand, but made the mistake of reacting to it. He taunted me childishly. Well, now I know about the poker face. ( And I take my glasses off, too, so nobody can read the cards’ reflections on the lenses. )
My mom taught me the latter, but the phrase she used was “Tiddy your cards”.
My folks both came from small, poor farms.
They either did something themselves, or it didn’t get done.
I can build a house, wire it, plumb it and put a fence around it (nowdays, it is more a “know how” than “can do personally”.
I can also sew by hand - no machine. do laundry properly (but I don’t) and put together a meal (in an emergency).
Father, being a drunken asshole with a sub-normal IQ (he was proud of it) and Mother, the super bright person who would never admit she married the wrong person, pretty much convinced me not to marry. Never have (born 1949).
It didn’t seem such a big deal until I moved out and started encountering people who didn’t know it: always, always, always, make sure you understand and agree with any contract you enter, whether it is in writing or verbally.
My mother taught me to sew my own clothes at a young age. By the time I was forced to take Home Ec in 9th grade, I not only whipped out the required drawstring bag and garment, but I also made a vest, a skirt, and for good measure, a clip-on tie. That class was a complete waste of my time.
She also taught me the importance of measuring accurately for recipes. There’s a difference between a measuring spoon and the spoon you use for eating cereal. Same with the difference between the cup that holds your drink and a measuring cup. It’s the difference between a decent cook and a horrible one.
My dad didn’t so much teach me how to do things, but he allowed me to use the tools in his workshop, as long as I put them away when I was done. This allowed me to teach myself such things as patching a bicycle tube and adjusting the hand brakes and gears. He did teach me how to paint walls and trim, which has served me well over the years.