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AIBU?

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Would you expect an 8 year old to do these things without help?

88 replies

OhImVisiblyOver25 · 09/08/2022 09:57

Brush teeth properly
Shower
Wash shoulder length hair
Tie shoe laces
Do and undo top button on a shirt
Sit properly on a chair at the dinner table

OP posts:
lickenchugget · 09/08/2022 09:58

My 7yo would need help with washing hair (rinsing) but could do the rest

lickenchugget · 09/08/2022 09:58

Shoelaces only very recently and not brilliantly yet

ChloeKellyIsAnIcon · 09/08/2022 10:00

Yes

yikesanotherbooboo · 09/08/2022 10:00

I would expect an 8 year old to do all that as long as they are showering for hair and not doing it in the bath.
I might have re had to prompt teeth .

Narcheska · 09/08/2022 10:01

Yes. Laces can be tough for some tho. I’m dyslexic and struggle to toe mine yeh conventional way. I remember as part of my dyslexia assessment they asked about shoelaces

FlorenceinSummer · 09/08/2022 10:01

Some yes, others no, mine (10) still likes me to do their top button up to go to school but can do it themselves, they both slouch at the table, but getting better...shoe laces yes shower yes but sometimes needs a nudge about rinsing the conditioner out properly. Teeth the dentist gave them tablets that helped.

bigTillyMint · 09/08/2022 10:01

Yes, though might need some help with the hair

Hankunamatata · 09/08/2022 10:02

Brush teeth properly - nope even my teen is a chancer
Shower - yes
Wash shoulder length hair - no
Tie shoe laces - no
Do and undo top button on a shirt - my 11 year old struggles a bit
Sit properly on a chair at the dinner table - yes but need reminders

CarlCarlson · 09/08/2022 10:04

Yes. Unless they are special needs etc

Anotherdayanotherdollar · 09/08/2022 10:05

I have a 7 year old who needs some help with almost all of these, but for different reasons.
Velcro or slip on shoes are the norm in our house.
Tedious bathroom renovation means help with shower, would need help rinsing hair anyway.
I still supervise teeth cleaning.
Will attempt top button on polo shirt, quite often manages it, but school shirts have velcroed mock top button so really only on PE days. We're pretty casual otherwise.

WorriedMillie · 09/08/2022 10:06

Yes, but DD struggles with rinsing off her long hair!

ldontWanna · 09/08/2022 10:12

DD was 10 when she properly mastered washing hair and shoe laces.

CeeJay81 · 09/08/2022 10:20

My dd8 can do those accept laces and may struggle with a top button. I'm trying to teach her laces but no success yet. Her older brother is dyslexic and he was about 11 before he could so them properly.

OhImVisiblyOver25 · 09/08/2022 10:32

Thank you.

Mine is just turned 8 and these things are a daily battle for us and I’ve had enough. I know she’s old enough to do them properly.

OP posts:
10HailMarys · 09/08/2022 10:33

Yes, assuming they weren't, for example, dyspraxic. Having said that, I have dyspraxia and I could certainly do all those things by the age of eight, even if I found them a bit harder than other kids. It took me ages to learn to tie my laces but I was definitely expected to keep practising until I got the hang of it.

Eunorition · 09/08/2022 10:34

Yes to all, but always help finish off their teeth. Missing a spot could cause an extreme amount of damage and no child wants to undergo a filling. Responsible parents help kids with their teeth.

But the rest is basic stuff.

FinneusMum · 09/08/2022 10:35

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This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

CruCru · 09/08/2022 10:36

Laces can be tricky - partly because the children’s school shoes all appear to be Velcro. The rest I would probably expect an 8 year old to be able to do.

JuneOsborne · 09/08/2022 10:36

CarlCarlson · 09/08/2022 10:04

Yes. Unless they are special needs etc

Children aren't special needs. They may have special or additional needs.

crimesagainstwine · 09/08/2022 10:37

Mine is just turned 8 and these things are a daily battle for us and I’ve had enough. I know she’s old enough to do them properly.

How do you know OP?

Mine could only do half of the things on that list - struggled with buttons and laces and we didn't have a shower so hair washing in bath was struggle (and easier to do with assistance)

Beachhutnut · 09/08/2022 10:37

Mabe not teeth. Mine does brush twice a at unprompted but not always well so I have to do them from time to time.

wildthingsinthenight · 09/08/2022 10:38

Hankunamatata · 09/08/2022 10:02

Brush teeth properly - nope even my teen is a chancer
Shower - yes
Wash shoulder length hair - no
Tie shoe laces - no
Do and undo top button on a shirt - my 11 year old struggles a bit
Sit properly on a chair at the dinner table - yes but need reminders

This exactly

Jules912 · 09/08/2022 10:42

At that age DS needed reminders to do ALL his teeth and had only just learnt to do laces (tbf he'd never had shoes with laces before).

Queenofsummer · 09/08/2022 10:42

All children are different.

I brush my 7 year olds teeth and don't intend to stop yet, I would certainly supervise to make sure that they're done properly.

Haven't taught laces yet.

We still help with showers sometimes.

He can do all the other things but I don't see the big deal at 8 it's a work in progress.

clpsmum · 09/08/2022 10:42

Depends on the child they all progress differently