What can your 7 year old do for themselves?

[idontneedhelpyoudo]

Just that really, honest answers. Can't tell if I'm trusting too much or not enough?
Inspired by group chat comments

Can they make their own breakfast?
Run a bath and get in and bath themselves?
Shower and dry themselves without help?
Pour themselves a drink?
Anything else you can think of?

I do everything and with smaller children too I think if I'm missing something that can be independent it would be a help

My dd3 is 5 and she can
Make her own breakfast and can do sandwiches so is capable of making her own lunch too. She'll also sort out ds4's breakfast too.
She can pour herself a drink.
If someone turns on the shower she can wash her hair and body, turn it off and dry herself.
She can't run a bath because she's scared of the cold tap and does need help with hair washing as her hair is long and very thick so is trickier in a bath.

Dd (nearly 6) can make her own breakfast with the exception of cutting her apple into slices because it needs a sharp knife.

She can run a bath and bathe and dry herself.

She can shower herself but can't turn the shower on as she doesn't really understand the dials but probably because she hates the shower so has only ever had 2.

She can fill her water bottle up but struggles to reach the kitchen tap so would usually do it from the bathroom.

She can follow a simple recipe in a children's baking book for something that she has done before eg fairy cakes

She can make a sandwich

She makes amazing Yorkshire puddings

Sorry, forgot to add that she cannot wash or brush her own hair - bum length and thick

I am obviously doing to much for my nearly 7 year old.

Mine DD is 7, she can

Get herself dressed obviously
Make herself a sandwich
Get her own cereal and drinks
Use the microwave to do spaghetti etc
Tidy up the front room
Put the recycling out
Hoover

I don't let her near the kettle, toaster or hot water yet.

All of this said, she is my dextrous child, my eldest could cope with cereal pouring and drink making.

@sitckmansladylove not saying she does all of these everyday!! I usually make breakfast and lunch but she can make them when she wants to.

When my DS was 7 he could make breakfast and pour a drink. He only started running his own bath and doing his hair just before he was 8. He still needs reminding to clean his teeth etc more often than not and is almost 9. He could fold his clothes and put them away (arguing about it for an hour when it takes 10 mins), keep his room tidy and lay the table. He could get his uniform ready for next day, but not check the timetable to see what else he needed.
I noticed a big jump in his desire to be independent and do things for himself between 7 and 8.

My 6yr old (next month) can make a sandwich, pour cereal for himself, give himself a drink in the kitchen. He can run a bath but still behind in bathing himself, so now we alternate, one day I bath him, following day he does it and I supervise it, he is learning to apply the lotion well too, I let him do it daily. He can pick out his clothes and dress himself.

@idontneedhelpyoudo

Just that really, honest answers. Can't tell if I'm trusting too much or not enough? Inspired by group chat comments

Can they make their own breakfast?
Run a bath and get in and bath themselves?
Shower and dry themselves without help?
Pour themselves a drink?
Anything else you can think of?

It really depends on their level of confidence (don't make them do it if they themselves feel unsafe obviously), their desire and their dexterity.

I have 3 but I'm answering for my 6 year old as the others are older:

Can they make their own breakfast?
Yes.

Run a bath and get in and bath themselves?
Run it, yes. I would want to test the temp and help her in. Bath on own yes, but I would be nearby (folding clothes in bedroom or whatever) listening out. She has long hair so I do take a turn with washing it after she's 'done it'. And I help to rinse. The boys were doing all of this sooner though since their hair is short.

Shower and dry themselves without help?
Shower is a mixer tap so I am on hand to help with temp, which seems to constantly change mid-shower! Dry - yes.

Pour themselves a drink?
Yes.

Anything else you can think of?
Tidy up. Unstack dishwasher. Hoover. Dust. Clean sink and bath. Chop veg/salad stuff. Wash veg/salad stuff. Sort laundry. Put laundry away. Pack an overnight bag (using a list I've written). Unpack overnight bag.

^this is all stuff I get them all to do regularly but not every day. It's not just the job of one person and it's not all the time but these are things I wouldn't fuss about asking/would expect help with when I asked for it/she wants to do and I find a way to allow her this independence (delete as appropriate with different tasks).

I came downstairs the other morning to find my 7 yr old and 5yr old eating pancakes with sugar and lemon...🙈 dd (7) had made them from scratch...🤣

I did ask her not to do it unattended again...

She can also obviously do things like...
dress and do her own hair.
Get cereal and pour a drink.
Make her bed.
She has never run a bath, but will wash her own hair, I usually dry her hair but she has done it herself too (supervised)
She can use the microwave to reheat food too.
She will also pack her own overnight bag for sleepovers etc.

My son is 7 and he showers himself and gets himself ready, dries his hair etc, makes a drink for himself, can make breakfast and a sandwich and cooks with me. He also uses the microwave for puddings, popcorn etc.
He’s my second child and the older is 9 so he does emulate him, plus he’s a pretty capable child in general. Eg I will send him and his brother on their bikes 5km to the shop to buy a loaf of bread and some sweets (quiet residential roads).

Can they make their own breakfast?
Yes, but rarely does because I have to drag her out of bed with the promise of food.

Run a bath and get in and bath themselves?
Yes, but she usually gets in the bath first and then runs it.

Shower and dry themselves without help?
Once I've moved the shower head down from
DH's height, yes.

Pour themselves a drink?
Yes
Anything else you can think of?
She can brush and tie back hair, but not plait it.
Strip the bed and re-make the pillows. (Too small to put sheet and duvet back on easily).
Puts her own laundry away, and sorts the socks.
Keeps her room reasonably tidy
Unload the dishwasher.
She can cook simple meals with supervision (from someone propped up on crutches nearby) and likes helping peel, chop veg and make the salad dressing.
Sweep up the mess she made under the table, hand wash stains out of her clothes.

DS is 4.5

He can't run the bath/turn on the shower but he washes himself, has a go at drying himself and gets dressed (I sit outside with an open door)
Can pour himself a drink and make himself a very messy jam sandwich for breakfast (I don't make him do it, he likes to do things by himself)

When we go for a day out he's good at grabbing himself a snack and a juice carton and putting it in the bag.

My ds can get himself dressed including trying a tie for school.

He can make toast, sandwiches etc. He doesnt often make breakfast because we have a tiny kitchen and a lot of what he needs like bowls and cereal is in a high cupboard he cant safely reach.

He helps with cooking but I have never asked him to make a meal on his own. Maybe I should?

He helps with tidying so keeps his room clean (with prompting), helps Hoover, sweeps, washes dishes etc. Honestly none of the jobs are done well but I dont expect that. It's more showing willing and learning how at this age for me.

He can run a bath and shower himself but usually I do.

My dh is keen on teaching him camping skills so being safe around a fire etc.

Oh should add, I am keen for him to start getting his school bag ready independently but I think he will need reminding a bit longer.

Ds (7) can

Make his own breakfast
Make his 2 yr old brother breakfast
Make smoothies
Fried egg on toast
Sandwiches
Pizza
Use microwave to make hot milk etc
Dress himself
Change (wet only) nappy and dress baby brother
Tidy his room
Empty dishwasher
Run a bath or shower fully on his own
Pour drinks, including a beer for me😄

My 5 and 4 yr old can do most of the above too.

I had 4 children in 5 years. It's a busy house and I swear I'm not running myself ragged after the kids and see my job as to teach them how to do everything for themselves not do it for them. I'm still busy as hell despite implementing benign negligence parenting.

6yo - can run own bath and clean herself - can’t do the shower but there’s a knack to it! 9yo does though.

Gets own breakfast, can clear the table and will wash a plate/bowl/cup if the washing up water is there already. Can dry up and out some things away.

Can make her own toast and fetch her own drinks. Puts away her clean clothes and puts dirty ones in the basket. Tidies away her own toys (after a fashion!)

Oh God, I hate these threads!

Wait until someone comes along and says "My 7 year old can:

Write a piano symphony
Redecorate the living room
Make a video for their meditation-based YouTube channel
Plan and cook a five course meal
Restore antique furniture

And all before I get downstairs in the morning. I have asked them to keep the piano down TBH as it wakes me..."

My dd age 7 can
Dress herself, shower and dry independently if showerhead is lowered and temperature adjusted first.
Make her own breakfast including using the toaster safely,
Fetch her own drinks, using kitchen sink, and make her own sandwiches for lunch.
Strip her bed and put on new sheet and pillowcase herself (bunk bed, too high for myself to do)
She will also do other basic chores such as drying the dishes and emptying the washing machine and hanging up the washing to dry.

Supervised i will let her use a sharp knife to help chop veg for dinner etc.

I’m often torn as to whether that’s all age appropriate? Or just because I’m disabled and have to rely on her more.

Ds2 is 7. He can make his own breakfast for the most part though if he wants an egg I stand by him for the very hot parts and help with pans etc. He can pour his own drinks without any help from me.

I run his bath and he does the rest, he always asks me to rinse his hair. Showers he does himself as he can operate it all though I am nearby.

I consider myself quite mother-henny with independence stuff and he hasn't done much in the way of washing machines and washing up but he does know to bring his laundry bag downstairs on command, he makes his own bed and keeps his room tidy. He knows to put used crockery in the dishwasher. He happily lays the table etc.

I should get him to do more really.

My 7 year old is a bit of a dreamer and still puts clothes on back-to-front etc, but he can:

• Make a bowl of cereal or do toast in the toaster (removing with wooden tongs).
• shower independently, although his drying is dodgy. I still check bath water temperature and supervise the job/out, as we have quite a high, free-standing bath that you can’t put a foot in the side of.
• tidy his room
• vacuum room
• make bed in the morning
• largely clean out the rabbit’s indoor run (empties litter tray, scrubs litter try and bed, scrubs floor & remakes bed and litter tray).
• feed and water rabbit

Truly impressed with all of this

I don't let dh bath himself. The temperature (I would be afraid he would scale himself)
Once he's in the bath he washed himself and can dry himself

He can make a drink (I have diluted orange in a jug). He will do the knives and forks from dishwasher or help unpack shopping for me.

He knows how to make flapjacks and pancakes but I do it with him. He's still so small. No major hurry to make them grow up so fast.

Scald

My ds7 is probably capable of doing a lot more than he lets on . I am constantly telling my dh to stop doing things for him. He can get himself a drink/snack. Tidy his room and get dressed often clothes would be put on back to front . The other day he wore 2 pairs of pants all day.