What do your 8 year olds do for themselves?

[blackcoffeeinbed]

What tasks are reasonable to expect an 8 year old to do for themselves or around the house? I've been trying to encourage my eldest DS to be a bit more independent, he can be quite lazy and demanding and I'm getting to the point where some things I think he should be doing for himself. Like making himself a drink if he's thirsty, finding his own clothes out and getting dressed, bathing himself, tidying his own room.

So I'm curious to know what other 8 year olds are doing for themselves?

My ds 8 chooses his clothes and dresses himself (although sometimes has to be sent back to try again if the combo doesn't work!)

He can get his own drink although usually asks me to.

Baths/showers alone sometimes but needs reminding to actually scrub. Does do teeth alone usually but with supervision!

We have the biggest problem with picking things up - he just throws clothes/toys/books over his shoulder without noticing. At times can hardly see his carpet! Massively hard work to get him to do any tidying!

My nearly seven year old can get himself a drink of water, and sometimes juice/squash/milk but if they were full I would worry about him spilling it.
He (and my 4.5year old) tidy their room, pick their clothes and get themselves dressed.
The eldest could do his own bath but they tend to share and I tend to run it and get it ready. I don’t stay with them though, just in and out.

My 8yo chooses her clothes, and dresses herself. She knows the morning and bedtime wash routine and does the mornings with a bit of chivvying from me. Bedtimes she sorts herself out while I put the younger two to bed, then I go in to turn her lights out at 8pm. And again about 20 mins later...

She also does the cereal for the four of us while I make packed lunches for school.

She has to be reminded that she can make a drink if she's thirsty, and that she doesn't need to tell me she needs the loo, she can just go... But on the whole she's pretty independent, just needs reminders to kee her on time!

Should say, at bedtime she comes with the younger ones to put her pj's on. I can trust her to go to the loo, brush her teeth and get into bed without supervision.

7 yo dn is now making her own cooked breakfasts with supervision. Refills her own water bottle. Dresses and bathes herself in the mornings. Cleans up after herself. Does her homework unprompted (she has a watch to help there).

Mine are 7 & 9 and both can do breakfast (cereal, toast) get their own snacks (rice cakes, fruit - although it's apparently easier to eat if I cut it - simple sandwich, yoghurt) and drinks and get make a cup of tea/coffee for me. The hot water issue is mitigated by us having a one cup rather than a kettle though. They will ask before doing all those things. They have to be reminded to set/clear the table and empty the dishwasher. They will also put things in the dryer for me or take them out (usually underwear so doesn't need folding). I leave their folded washing on their beds which they put away jam into drawers and they are supposed to tidy their rooms once a week. I double check teeth and hair washing in the shower (dd has long hair and ds is lazy).

At 8 they should be able to do everything for themselves but need supervision when “cooking”

My 8 and 6 year old pick their own clothes and get themselves dressed (like PP I occasionally need to step in sartorially!) They can make a drink and their own cereal (toast if I’m in the kitchen), they help with cooking and clearing the table and one washes up and the other dries. They make their beds and tidy their room (badly!)

But all of this takes a lot of nagging and sometimes hovering from me - determined not to raise lazy arseholes though!

My 8 year old made herself American style pancakes for breakfast this morning with me in the kitchen tidying up and slurping coffee. She messaged me from her iPod at 6:50 asking me to get up so she could start😡

Not quite 8yo can... Make own breakfast (cereal, waffles, toast, fruit, yoghurt etc... Not all on same day!)
Make bed (and strip dirty sheets)
Help sort washing clothes
Teeth, washing, bathing etc
Iron Cub uniform
Cook simple meals
Make hot drinks
Load/unload dishwasher
Hoover
Help tidy, dust etc

She does most of this when she wants to, I don't run a sweatshop!

My 6 yo DS can do everything on your list although would need nagging help with the tidying. My 9 yo DD can cook simple meals (eggy bread, beans on toast) for herself, made the guacamole for tea last night, regularly bakes by herself, sorts out her swimming kit for practice, prepares her own packed lunch when needed, cleared the breakfast table this morning without being asked to.

I think you need to expect more from your child, he is perfectly capable of doing simple self care tasks and should be helping with tasks that benefit the whole family (laying the dinner table etc).

Thanks everyone, so what I'm trying to encourage isn't unreasonable! He would have me think it's child labour haha, I don't feel I'm doing either of us any favours in the long run by continuing to jump to his demands. He's definitely old enough to do some things for himself and perhaps help with other tasks as and when. He won't even take his plate/bowl to the kitchen after eating let alone make his own breakfast... I think we have some catching up to do! My 4 year old loves being dependent and doing these things for himself, I've never once asked him to as at his age I'd happily do it all but he loves 'being a big boy' as he says. I point this out to my eldest, look what your brother who's nearly half your age can do but he doesn't care he's just happy to have them done for him.