Reply to How Independent is your 16 year old DS?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]These answers are strange. Who cares if your son can do laundry or cook a meal for the family. That’s not a sign of independence. The most dependent kid could do that.

How about traveling alone?
Getting back and forth to school and activities independently? 
Planning his own schedule?
Coordinating his own activities?
Finding a job, and having new responsibilities at work
Pursuing independent interests and passions 
Taking care of his own banking and money
Being responsible for some household chores 
Being responsible for siblings or grandparents 
Being trusted to handle significant things at home/school/work - deliveries, pet care, shoveling snow, letting contractors in and out, etc 
Being able to spend the night/weekend alone

[/quote]

13:39 PP here. I'll provide more input for those that are interested:
- He has been traveling alone to visit grandparents in Arizona since he was 9 years old. Back then, we would take him to the gate and they would pick him up at the gate. Once he turned 14, we started saying goodbye at security and he would meet the grandparents at baggage claim. Now, we just drop him off at the door and they pick him up at the door.
- He drives and bikes to school and activities
- He plans his own schedule, I suppose, around practices and school and such.
- He does not really completely coordinate his own activities -- I sign him up for sports leagues, I plan our vacations, he will coordinate his job schedule this summer around the already planned activities 
- He just found a job at Safeway (I made suggestions on where to apply) and will be working 25-30 hours per week over the summer, cutting back to 6-10 hours a week during the school year.
- He very much enjoys his sports and working out.
- He has had his own student checking account since he was 14. He deposits checks through the online app. He uses his debit card and is an authorized user on our credit card. He recently set up direct deposit for his new job.
- He has chores as discussed in my other post
- He is not responsible for siblings or grandparents.
- He shovels snow, he takes care of his pet lizard, he plays with our dog, he has gotten pizza delivered, he has not dealt with contractors
- He has spend one 36 hour period alone and it went fine. We have another weekend trip planned for next month.[/quote]

No friends and no girlfriend, huh? How are his social skills? [/quote]

PP here. He has friends, but he has never had a girlfriend. As I said in my original post, he seems a little socially immature to me (as do his friends). He generally interacts well with other kids and adults, and his teachers and coaches and other parents always have nice things to say about him. Hopefully, he will figure out the romantic stuff within a few years.[/quote]

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