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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Can your dc peel an apple? I've just taught ds2 to do it.

14 replies

CuriousMama · 30/11/2012 21:42

He's 12

I think I'm turning into my mother. She was a bit overly protective. I say a bit as I was allowed to run wild with my peers yet she'd panic if I went ice skating. Told me not to fall over or else someone may go over my fingers and cut them off I can laugh at it now but at the time it totally spoiled ice skating. Only did it once. I won a family pass to go and haven't got round to it yet. Dss haven't been but not because of my trauma, just there isn't one close by. We'll travel to the prize venue and have until March to go. I'll be brave drunk and cope with it ok

Anyway ds2 loves apples. The latest batch have some little bruises on so I've had to peel them for him. He's finicky about things like that (bruises). Tonight I'd pandered to him as his back's a bit sore but then he said I'll have an apple now. So I said yes go and get one. He obviously expected me to peel it but I showed him how to do it. He didn't do it how I showed him but was very proud to have got all the peel off.

I wonder what I should show him next? Dp's good at getting him and ds1 to do things especially when we go camping.

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duletty · 30/11/2012 21:50

My 5 yr old peels apples, carrots and potatoes.. And chops....while I hover of course!

8 yr old ds does these..

How to work the washing machine, dishwasher....

How to put a duvet cover on?

How to open a ring pull can of beans?

Erm...how to polish shoes?

Are you wanting him to help out with chores? Cant think of ones at the moment that are to do with specific age though

Haw to fit a vacuum dust bag...

When I was 12 I did my own ironing and cook a meal and a bit of easy sewing

Was he in beavers/cubs/scouts?

Original poster

CuriousMama · 30/11/2012 21:58

No beavers or scouts he was trying it out as we left our home town. There isn't one here. There's air cadets but he needs to be 13 for that. He's only interested in football at the moment. Oh and games. He can cook and bake, make his bed. Good idea about the tin. He can dust and hoover not that I get him to do much of it. Can make a nice cup of tea He can do the pots too. Pretty good at gardening since we got our allotment.

I never had to do anything at home! So wrong. I do it all now though, along with dp. Should think so at 44

I think my fear of knives comes from trying to teach ds1 how to chop a carrot when he was small and he cut himself and needed to go to hospital. Freaked me out. Also I'm a hairstylist and have snipped myself a few times over the years so cuts and fingers are a bit of a phobia.

He isn't a lazy lad I just have to stop doing so much for him, and ds1.

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Hulababy · 30/11/2012 22:00

I have no idea. 10y DD loves to cook and can make many a fine meal. But not sure she has ever needed to peel an apple before. But she can peel other stuff so I would assume so.

Original poster

CuriousMama · 30/11/2012 22:04

Maybe I should just make sure they never have bruises? Mind you if he's going to make a decent apple crumble then he needs to peel them. That's my next task seen as I love it. He prefers rice pudding but that's a doddle.

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duletty · 30/11/2012 22:51

I always bite out the bad bits!

I like doing things for my children, as my parents were very tough and not the slightest bit indulgent...and i mean by peeling an apple it had never occurred to me to peel a pear until i was weaning the dc!

I understand the knives bit...I'm ver clenchy when used, particularly with carrots as they are so hard

TheEnthusiasticTroll · 30/11/2012 23:20

Nothing wrong with that OP and at 12 I was doing loads of stuff for my self could work the hob and oven and do ironing and hovering and sewing lots more but I couldn't use a knife very well. I don't think there is an age threshold for these kinds of things as and when the dc is ready, wants to or needs to.

The ice skating thing resonates with me, my dd at 6 does far more for herself than I ever did at her age, but when it comes to Ice skating and swimming lessons, I have silent heart failure and just can't watch I case of severed fingers and drowning incidents, my better judgement tells me differently but I still flinch every week at swimming lessons and have that funny fear feeling up my bum when dd is on the ice .

I think all parents have things that set there nerves on edge, I was about 14 before my mum would let me plug and unplug an electrical appliance, despite being able to do far riskier tasks and work most appliances unsupervised. It's that irrational fear process we all have at some levels.

He's only 12 so you have plenty of years of still doing things for him so enjoy them no need to cut the apron strings just yet.

Original poster

CuriousMama · 30/11/2012 23:20

I remember being awestruck when my dad peeled an apple or orange and did it in one go It was all twirly and magical

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TheEnthusiasticTroll · 30/11/2012 23:23

Yy remember that, also throwing it over shoulder to see what initial it landed on.

Original poster

CuriousMama · 30/11/2012 23:25

Thanks TET I know I still like doing things for them. I just wouldn't want to be like my mum. She had me much later than my siblings so that could be why? Makes you really lazy though.

I'm teaching them to iron soon. Mainly because their gran is very poorly and if she ever gets back home they could do with helping her and she does like things ironed nicely. Exdh is appalling domestically. As in minging. If I lived near to her I'd help her all the time. Looks as if she won't be here long though

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Original poster

CuriousMama · 30/11/2012 23:25

Isn't the initial supposed to be who you'll marry?

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BackforGood · 30/11/2012 23:26

Never really had any need - they eat the skin/peel.
Have all ben able to peel and chop veg though, so if the question is 'can they use a knife?' then, yes, from when they were about 8 I think.

TheEnthusiasticTroll · 30/11/2012 23:29

I would prioritise making cups of tea and coffee, purely selfish reasons of course I always loved making my mum hot drinks. I think if they manage that then you can get a good idea of their own risk judgment and awareness.

amck5700 · 30/11/2012 23:31

My 12 year old spends most his time when not allowed any more computer time whittling wood with his pen-knife, he is getting a proper scout knife from santa :o

On a serious note, he can make himself a basic meal, do a load of laundry (including ironing!) so I know if anything happened to me he would at least not go hungry or unclean :o

He also does not do bruised fruit.

Original poster

CuriousMama · 30/11/2012 23:39

Oh they both make hot drinks. Although ds2 won't do coffee. It was so funny a few months back when he was in year 6. The topic they were studying was South America and the produce ect.. He came home one day saying he wanted to try coffee. He said it was because they were supposed to try different things from different countries. I made him a coffee with sugar and plenty of milk. His face was a picture Took him hours to get over the fact we all like it, including ds1.

I think this weekend I'll do a bit of a bootcamp. Get dss to do things they don't already. I think I'll teach them to clean the bathroom, together, seen as exdh is so minging. Then they can do his. Although tbh I think Aggie and Kim would've turned their noses up at that job!

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