Things a kid should know by 8-9

[Anonymous]

My 8yo does laundry with the help of a stepstool. The hardest part isn't the buttons, it's digging clothes out of the bottom of the top-loading washer. He usually uses the stepstool to climb onto the edge of the washer and leans down into it.

My other big one: how to call 911. Not just how to pick up the phone and dial the numbers, but the whole sequence: how to know when it's appropriate to call, how to unlock Mom's or Dad's cell phones (we don't have a landline), what to tell the person on the other end, know our address and callback number, how to describe what is happening.

[Anonymous]

How to read a recipe. The difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon, some common terms. Basic knife skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was 18 and driving with my dad when he told me to turn south one day. I looked at him baffled, he was appalled I didn't know which way that was. I'd just never related that information to real life I guess. Granted everyone uses GPS now--but fact is, when I head to an area where I live I am not familiar with my GPS is always telling me to go the wrong way on a nearby one way thoroughfare. It also misdirected me to a church being torn down a mile away from the church where my aunt's funeral was being held.

So--be able to tell which way is north/south/east/west from where you happen to be.

That’s a great one! By 8/9 I would make sure they know which way their front door faces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was 18 and driving with my dad when he told me to turn south one day. I looked at him baffled, he was appalled I didn't know which way that was. I'd just never related that information to real life I guess. Granted everyone uses GPS now--but fact is, when I head to an area where I live I am not familiar with my GPS is always telling me to go the wrong way on a nearby one way thoroughfare. It also misdirected me to a church being torn down a mile away from the church where my aunt's funeral was being held.

So--be able to tell which way is north/south/east/west from where you happen to be.

That’s a great one! By 8/9 I would make sure they know which way their front door faces.

Love this idea! Should a it to the knowledge that could one day save your life thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My elementary schooler is supposed to do their own laundry? I didn’t until college and I turned out just fine.

Same. This thread is pretty fakey/tryhard.

Really? This is what seems fake and try hard to you? Granted I'm a 90's ki, but my siblings and I were all taught laundry at 8 . I remember going to college and being amazed there were people who were 17/18/19 years old and had no clue how to work a machine.

Again, you can teach the kid that in 12th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:My elementary schooler is supposed to do their own laundry? I didn’t until college and I turned out just fine.

Same. This thread is pretty fakey/tryhard.

Laundry is so easy, though??

It's one of the easiest chores nowadays, if you have modern machines.

-Take your stuff (or everyone's) to the washing machine (probably don't even need to sort by color). May need to know what can't be put in machine.
-Put in detergent, press a button or two (learn which).
-Swing by in an hour and throw in dryer, press a button or two (learn which).
-Take out, bring to room, fold and put away

??

I'm a little iffy about some of the suggestions here but my five year old can do laundry and run the dishwasher. This seems like a weird one to be phased by.

It's funny how our backgrounds can color our opinions on things. original pps think have an 8 your old do laundry is fake or over the top. You see it as fine, but think other things are iffy. Based on my upbringing I find alot of these suggestions babyish.

I agree, but times have changed. I can’t tell you how many 8/9/10yo cannot tie shoes. Why? Way more athletic slip-on shoes than in the 70/80s. I coach youth sports. When the kids on my team ask me to tie their shoes, I tell them I will do it once, but after that they need to learn to do it without mom/dad. Parents have been very appreciative bc sometimes it takes a trusted outsider to motivate a kid. I haven’t had single kid not do it. As long as a kid showed me he/she tried first, I had no problem helping. They are so proud when they can finally do it. In my day, if you didn’t have shoe thing down pat by K, kids and adults would at least side-eye you.

I’m sure you’re familiar with this list from the 1979s.

http://www.chicagonow.com/little-kids-big-city/2011/08/is-your-child-ready-for-first-grade-1979-edition/

Parents used to teach kids how to tie shoes all the time. What has changed with times, is parents want to outsource everything and are so afraid of pushing or challenging their kid to do anything except advanced math, instruments, and foreign language. Shoe tying and crossing the street won't get you into Ivy, so it doesn't matter, but then these college students come home and parents are shocked at how unhelpful they are around the house and what to know if they should take the phone away.

Spot on. It also scares me a bit when kids don’t get independence to navigate their neighborhood until around 16yo. True story for some of my NOVA neighbors. The first time they get to do this is behind a wheel of a car. Moms (not all!) drive their kids .25-.5 mile up the road to ES, 1.25 mile in MS, and .75 mile to HS until kid turns 16/17. Kids were allowed to walk to friends houses either. My 1970s/80s brain has a hard time comprehending this way of parenting.

My parents did not even allow my siblings or I to get drivers licenses until summer before college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basic cooking
- make mac and cheese
- make a sandwich
- make toast

How to set a table

I miss whole foods mac and cheese from the hot foods bar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My elementary schooler is supposed to do their own laundry? I didn’t until college and I turned out just fine.

Same. This thread is pretty fakey/tryhard.

Really? This is what seems fake and try hard to you? Granted I'm a 90's ki, but my siblings and I were all taught laundry at 8 . I remember going to college and being amazed there were people who were 17/18/19 years old and had no clue how to work a machine.

Again, you can teach the kid that in 12th grade.

Of course you can. But what's the problem with teaching it earlier?

[Anonymous]

We have a top loader and there is no way my kids can reach in there and get everything out to transfer it to the dryer. Maybe with a step ladder she could reach the buttons but that wouldn’t help with reaching all the way to the bottom to get the clothes out. I’m ok doing her laundry til the teen years. She just turned 8 and we have started leaving her for 10-15 mins. Goal is to build up gradually. I actually tested her the other day when I came back I knocked on the door. She didn’t answer ....... so that was a win. She said she heard the knock but didn’t answer because she didn’t know who it was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How to read a recipe. The difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon, some common terms. Basic knife skills.

OMG! Yes! When I was 14, I was making cookies and the recipe called for a teaspoon of salt. I put a tablespoon in instead. I'm 30 now and my family still talks about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Laundry basics (load, detergent, shift to dryer)
Dishwasher
Microwave
Vacuum & sweep
Basic bathroom cleaning

NP

I love this list. I dream of the day when my 7 year old can microwave, run the washer and fold her own clothes (ahhhhhh), and clean the bathroom. She sweeps the play area everynight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My elementary schooler is supposed to do their own laundry? I didn’t until college and I turned out just fine.

What's your point?

I was born with pretty horrible eyesight; I did not get glasses until I was 14. but I turned out just fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My elementary schooler is supposed to do their own laundry? I didn’t until college and I turned out just fine.

Same. This thread is pretty fakey/tryhard.

Laundry is so easy, though??

It's one of the easiest chores nowadays, if you have modern machines.

-Take your stuff (or everyone's) to the washing machine (probably don't even need to sort by color). May need to know what can't be put in machine.
-Put in detergent, press a button or two (learn which).
-Swing by in an hour and throw in dryer, press a button or two (learn which).
-Take out, bring to room, fold and put away

??

My youngest is now 11 but has been doing laundry since he was 7. We have a list of reminders posted near the machines with the basic steps and things not to forget. The rule that my boys' friends think is hilarious and my boys think is normal is that BRAS do NOT go in the dryer! When they are taught the basics at a young age they can do more than we think.

[Anonymous]

All these things are so... boring.

Kayak
put their own bait on to fish
take a fish off the hook
pitch a tent
how to belay
how to properly throw a ball
how to properly run (seriously take your kid out and make sure he moves his arms and can run properly)
how to tie a proper knot
how to play 1 song on 1 instrument
How to dance ... make it up, just dance
plan a dinner... not necessarily execute well
identify a predator
stand up to an adult and seek help
stand up to a bully
swing a golf club
create art from random things without instructions
tell NESW without a compass
navigate their way home, drive somewhere and ask them to tell you how to get home... then to the store, then to school
check the oil
change a tire
cut the lawn/edge
plant a pot with something and make it grow
plant a garden
stop a wound from bleeding
when to help and when to run and get help (never jump into running water)
how to calculate change
how to show empathy for a friend
how to say no nicely

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My elementary schooler is supposed to do their own laundry? I didn’t until college and I turned out just fine.

Same. This thread is pretty fakey/tryhard.

Really? This is what seems fake and try hard to you? Granted I'm a 90's ki, but my siblings and I were all taught laundry at 8 . I remember going to college and being amazed there were people who were 17/18/19 years old and had no clue how to work a machine.

Again, you can teach the kid that in 12th grade.

You can, but what's wrong with teaching them earlier? One less thing to do the year or summer before college.