Life skills for 8 year old

[waverly]

I tried to do a Pinterest search and google and didn’t find much beyond the obvious chores.

I am looking for some things to teach my 7 year old- will be 8 in early fall. It’s probably different for each kid but I feel like 8 is maybe the beginning of them being more independent.

So far he already does a lot of chores so it’s not so much that but things like learning to use the microwave. The ideas are to get him ready to be left at home for 5 minutes as a trial run, get ready for sleep away camp next summer, to be able to act in an emergency be able to walk to the park 2 houses away by himself (I can watch from the driveway) and a bunch of other scenarios.

The other idea I had was a bit of first aid/ putting on a band aid. He’s a little bit of an oblivious uncoordinated kid so direction because he doesn’t always pick up on things.

How do I teach him to rinse his hair? He comes out of the bath with his hair full of conditioner. Maybe I need to force showers on him?

Just looking to take that next step but I feel like I am missing some steps. Like I just literally thought of the microwave idea last week and I think my sisters kid was already microwaving by now maybe...

The idea is when he is 9 he could maybe not sure yet stay home by himself after school for even maybe just 1 day a week.

[mommyatty]

I would start letting him help you more in the kitchen and make him more responsible for his own multi-step items. Like “go get yourself ready for bed and let me know when you’re ready to be tucked in” so he has to pee, brush teeth, shower or bathe, pjs, get his book, etc. I would also let him start cooking with you. At 8, he can make scrambled eggs with oversight while he’s using the stove. He can read a recipe and prepare cupcake batter by himself. He can make his own breakfast, like toast or cereal.

I wasn’t allowed to do any cooking at home alone (even the microwave) until I was 10. But conversely by the time I was 11, I was making most of our family dinners.

[2chatter]

My kids all started with easy things like frozen pancakes, kids meals, popcorn in the microwave. Popcorn is harder because you have to stop it.

They baked cookies in the oven, scrambled eggs on the stove top, made sandwiches by 7-8. DS at 6 is only doing sandwiches and eggs with help.

DS puts away his laundry - his friends don’t so IDK if that’s atypical but it provides me sanity. For things related to staying home - we worked on knowing our address, phone numbers for us, where to go/what to do if you need help, fire safety plan (we go to the fire station open house and draw them there), basic first aid like bandaids and not using big bite cream or peroxide without permission, snack limits, not opening the door even if they know the person (couple of exceptions), not playing out front.

For getting home we talked about what to do if there isn’t a crossing guard and rules about playing on the playground and when to come home.

FWIW I think our generation of parents WAY over think all of this OR under prepare. So don’t go overboard but thinking it through is good!

[sacattack]

Let me start by saying, I'm pretty free range.

Now having said that, you should just start having your DS help with everything that you do. If you are making dinner - he can cook the pasta, set the table, do the dishes, etc. If he wants a snack, he can make it. For bathing, send him back if he's not fully rinsed - teach him what it should feel like when he is done. I think just in general kids needs to know how to live - you can't teach every single situation.

My DD is 8 (almost 9)- she gets herself up in the morning, makes herself oatmeal (using the microwave), cleans up after herself. At that point, I'm usually up and tell her to get dressed and pack her bag for school. At night she has 1 of 4 dinner chores that rotate between kids (ages 8-13), showers and gets ready for bed independently. I built a list and she loves it and references it constantly for her morning/night routine (despite the routine being the same her entire life). We started this at the beginning of the school year and now she is pretty much autonomous except when she is extra tired. The biggest lesson for me was, its going to take longer and be messier when they do it, but they will eventually get it!

I will leave her home now for up to 30 minutes alone. Its a safe neighborhood, I know all my neighbors and she isn't the type to get into things.

[waverly]

Thanks everyone. DD is more the type to pick things up intuitively. DS I wouldn’t say he is out if the realm of ordinary, but is more the oblivious type child. And he does have minor sensory and coordination issues, but no intellectual ones. He is a big rule follower though so I think he would be ok to leave for a little bit when he is older.

We’ve done the safety stuff. I told them not to answer the door but then we get Peapod so they are excited and run to the door so I need to hammer that in. Sounds like most of the stuff we haven’t covered is more in the kitchen. He’s done sandwiches and toast. I wouldn’t expect him to cook while we are gone.

[sudokufan]

We were latch key kids when I was 8 and my brother 7 (and omg, pre-microwave which makes me feel OLD); I highly recommend practicing fire safety in the kitchen. I wish my parents had - I put a kettle on to boil, forgot about it until the water boiled off and the kettle caught fire, so I ran to get my neighbor. Even if you don't mean for him to use the stove, things do catch fire in the microwave. At that age, I'd go with -turn off heat sources, remove oxygen if you can (smother with lid, close door, use baking soda or extinguisher), then get an adult.

DS is 5 - we're working up to him taking a shower by himself, getting dressed/ready for bed, helping in kitchen (cracking eggs, cutting veg - more steps right now then start to finish making anything), pretty much any household chores where he can reach what he needs, and shopping - meaning, he picks what he needs, puts it in basket, and tries to pay himself. That part is a bit harder given his age, money is still a bit of a nebulous concept. Oh, and related, checking out books at the library using my card.

[mommyatty]

sudokufan- We moved into a house with a gigantic built in microwave when I was 9. And we felt INCREDIBLY uptown! We weren’t allowed to use it because 1) it was so expensive and 2) neither my brother nor I could quite grasp not to put metal in the microwave. We had dishes with some sort of metal filigree and I remember putting them in there and watching sparks fly!

[helenahhandbasket]

I think you are on the right track.

RE bath time-- I do think 7 is a good age to start with showers. DD started requesting them last year and it's made my life a lot easier- I don't have to bend over to rinse her butt length hair, etc. (she's 6, and in K). I still help her rinse her hair but it's just much easier.

She also is responsible for picking up her toys, putting her dirty dish in the sink after eating and re-filling the dog's food dish. We live in a small apartment RN so we are a bit limited on how many things she can get in to, but I am hoping that when we move I can teach her how to maybe sort laundry.

We are working on getting completely dressed in the morning- which she can do, but it does take her a long time and sometimes still puts her underwear and even her pants on backwards.

[jlaok]

My DS prefers baths over showers so I have a deal with him that he can take baths as long as he can be responsible for doing all the things (washing/rinsing hair, washing body well, washing face).

Some other responsibilities he has is feeding the dog, taking out the kitchen trash, bringing the big trash can and recycle can in from the curb, putting away his clothes, sorting recycling, and we've just started in on unloading the dishwasher.

Another habit I'm starting is him knowing that getting ready in the morning includes cleaning his bathroom (making sure there isn't toothpaste in the sink and putting away his toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, etc.)

[186momx]

DD almost 7 is a microwave pro. She learned last summer and then heats lunch up at school each day. She also loves reading and following the directions to make boxed pasta, rice, etc. DD also learned how to use the can opener last summer after the soup disaster (babysitter couldn't do it either so lunch was a huge bust). DD loves to eat so anything food related she has really figured out how to do which is kind of scary.

She cleaned the entire bathroom over the weekend. I broke it down into small steps but it turned out great plus she swept and mopped the floor. For those kids who love baths DD does what she calls a shower-bath. She washers her hair and body then plugs the tub and lets the shower fill the tub up while she soaks up all the hot water. One the tub is filled she turns off the water and plays. These are reserved for special occasions as she spends 45-60 minutes in the bathroom then.

This summer we are working on remember my phone number and our address.