Straw Poll - At what age would you reasonably expect a child to be able to:

[Milliways]

1. Use the Toilet brush
2. Empty the Dishwasher
3. Get their own breakfast (Toast or cereals)
4. Do some ironing
5. Cook a family dinner

(This is to settle a debate at work with those kids who slave from walking age, to those who leave home with no skills at all)

Thanks

1. 8?
2. 8
3. 5 (cereal if they can reach the milk)
4. 11
5. 13

Yep Starlover - I introduced "the brush" to them at about 8.

My DD is terrified of heat so ironing is going to take some persuasion (& she is 15 now!), and she will cook but hates spitty frying pans & taking stuff out of oven.

1. this one had never crossed my mind
2. 10-ish
3. 8-ish
4. 14, 15
5. help - now (they are 3 and 18 months) alone - probbaly about 12.

My dd1 is 8 in 3 weeks. She ironed a pair of her trousers for the first time the other day, and is now desperate for me to let her do more .

She also loves to cook - we let her do stuff on the hob if one of us is supervising but wouldn't let her take anything out of the oven at this age.

She's never used the toilet brush so think it is about time I showed her how!

Will stack and empty the dishwasher if asked and will also get her own breakfast - has been doing both these things for about the last 6 months (probably a bit longer for getting breakfast).

Eldest is 11, and wants to iron but I'm reluctant...

But she and dd2 have been cooking for a while. DD1 cooks totally independently (smelt fabulous appley-cinnamony scent coming from kitchen while I was decorating upstairs last weekend, and she'd decided to make some muffins), she always makes puddings for family Sunday lunches etc, and the 2 of them made a whole meal (macaroni cheese, followed by mango fool(!)) in the holidays.

Everything else is a bit ad-hoc. And toilet-brush? Not so far!

1. Use the Toilet brush - NEVER they are VILE

2. Empty the Dishwasher - At 3 I would get them to sort out the cutlery

3. Get their own breakfast (Toast or cereals) - 4 if they can reach

4. Do some ironing - 7?

5. Cook a family dinner - For fun, from about 6, as a chore, maybe 12-13

1. Use the Toilet brush - have never thought about this one
2. Empty the Dishwasher - 7-8
3. Get their own breakfast (Toast or cereals)- 4 or 5 (if the milk was within reach)
4. Do some ironing 11 -12
5. Cook a family dinner - something like pasta I'd say 12 - 13

Hmm, DS1 is only 4, so I've got no idea about a lot of these. A friend's daughter is 9 and seems to bake a lot.

DS1 would be able to sort out cereal for his breakfast, only he struggles with slippery glass milk bottles. Any solution to that one?

1. teenage when needed. 2)7-8 3)9/10 toast 4/5 cereal ..my dds even go out the front for the milk from the milkman!
2. teenager
3. teenager

nqc - decant the milk into a plastic jug with lid and handle.

nqc... decant some into a smaller jug for him?

oooh bozza! spooky!

Hmm, yeah, I should do that. Will look around for a jug that would do the job. He's 4.5, can sort out his own cereal, but not milk. (He's seriously lazy, too, and happily makes me pour his cereal, even though he has several servings every morning ... time for that to stop, I think!)

1. from about 8 months..but not to clean the toilet!
2. my 18month helps 3)about 8 or 9 4)My Ds did a bit once around 13, but i dont really let them
3. dont know!

1. Use the Toilet brush 6
2. Empty the Dishwasher 4
3. Get their own breakfast (Toast or cereals) 6
4. Do some ironing 8
5. Cook a family dinner 10

1. never - totally unhygenic horrible things
2. mine is the dishwasher
3. 3 - GS can do this now and insists on doing it (cereals and fruit, etc)
4. Chance would be a fine thing (although DS is 16 and does the family's ironing as part of earning extra money ...at his request)
5. Does that mean "What age can they pick up the phone and order"?

1. Don't have toilet brush
2. About 8 or 9
3. About 11
4. Ironing?
5. About 14?

I'm talking about adult level competence here, rather than "oh good boy, aren't you a great help to mummy". Hence 11 for 3) being quite old, because although any kid can get themselves cereal, how many would get a proper nutritionally balanced breakfast?

1. Use the Toilet brush - reliably 10/11
2. Empty the Dishwasher - DS1 does this and he's 5 - obviously needs help reaching the high cupboards though
3. Get their own breakfast (Toast or cereals) Cereals - 6/7 toast 8/9
4. Do some ironing - simple things 10/11
5. Cook a family dinner 11/12 (with help)

my children are 5 and 2 - so not really there with any of them yet

1. Use the Toilet brush NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT
2. Empty the Dishwasher DON'T HAVE ONE
3. Get their own breakfast (Toast or cereals) CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN HE STARTED
4. Do some ironing WE DON'T DO IRONING IN THIS HOUSE
5. Cook a family dinner 10 BY HIMSELF - {LAST WEEK}

1. Use the Toilet brush NOBODY USES IT BUT ME
2. Empty the Dishwasher EARLY TEENS (TO BE ABLE TO REACH HIGH SHELVES ETC)
3. Get their own breakfast (Toast or cereals) SAME AS KANGA - CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN THEY STARTED
4. Do some ironing SAME AS KANGA AGAIN - NO IRONING IN THIS HOUSE
5. Cook a family dinner AFTER STARTING FOOD TECH AT SCHOOL, UNLESS THEY HAVE A VERY FOODIE PARENT WHO ENCOURAGES

Jan - do you have short children?? I only ask as I know lots of kids under 10yrs old who are the same height as me (or taller ) and who could easily reach the cupboards to put the stuff away..

1. I wouldn't want them to, I have one but for emergencies only.
2. Both helped from about 5 yrs.
3. Cereal from about 5 but help with pouring milk, making toast 8.5 yrs.
4. I hardly ever iron but perhaps about 13, at 8 yr olds ironing, I suppose with very close supervision.
5. Totally on their own about 13, but expected to help properly from about 6 when they can reach from the kitchen stool.

My son is a tall 9yrs but he can't reach the top shelves yet and barely the middle ones, OK for middle if he use the step.

1. Use the Toilet brush: youre kidding right? he doesnt even wipe the seat (really should make clear it should be lifted)
2. Empty the Dishwasher: if only i had one.
3. Get their own breakfast (Toast or cereals): has done this for some time, i think about four, it was his grown up thing.
4. Do some ironing: nope, i dont know probably never as mummy doesnt either.
5. Cook a family dinner: well i couldnt until i was 25......

meant to add, when he was very young i taught him to put his rubbish in the bin. now he doesnt bother. i dont however, think its a bad thing to teach them certain "chores?". my ex fiance was 25, lived with his mum and had to have stickers on the oven when she went on holiday. his speciality was beans on toast. i was the same age and i'd had my own place for 7 years and couldnt believe how dependant he was.