What life skills should an 11 year old have?

[robinpud]

She can send a text but can't peel a spud.
She can do a powerpoint but can't sew on a button.. has never made a cup of tea

I blame the parents

I know each child is different but roughly what should they be able to do I wonder

Cross the road
Make a cuppa
peel a spud!
Know how to make an emergency call/reverse charge call

Same as notnowbernard. Also be able to dust and hoover.

Do homework.

Look sweet.

cook simple food (beans, poached egg etc)
shop and pay using either cash or pincard
take care of household pets
clean own room
operate washing machine/dishwasher
do homework without having to be 'checked up on'
repair a bike puncture
hold a reasonably intelligent conversation!
Sort out my computer problems

Should add my ds1 (12) occasionally stuns me by serving me tea and toast in bed. I can't tell you how lovely/appreciated this makes me feel

Gulp! My 11-y-o has none of the above skills.

She can't even text, because I won't let her have a mobile phone...

Cup of tea? Toast? Hoover? Spuds? Peel? Clean? Does not..compute... abort... Aaaah!

Be charming.

You know, out of all these, I think teaching kids to cook simple stuff has to be the most important. DD (10) was making (and flipping) pancakes yesterday for breakfast.

All seem a bit housework-heavy to me

Read a bus timetable/use a bus

Start to get the concept of money (ie save up for something you want)

Cope with boredom to an extent (ie not have to have someone entertain you all the time)

Agree re coking simple meals

Blimey, ds1 is 11 in a fortnight...he's got a lot to learn.

He can make toast...

Iron a shirt/blouse
Sew on a button
Polish shoes
Make simple meals/cups of tea
Lay the table properly
Take a telephone message so it's intelligible to the person for whom it's intended
Use a public phone box/make a reverse charge call
Buy groceries from a list, making reasonable substitutions where necessary, and bring back the correct change
Clean the bath/basin/loo
Hoover
Make beds with sheets and blankets, not just duvets

I was amazed at the yr 7s at school who arrive in Food Tech (cooking!) not knowing things like how to wash up or how to open a tin & ask questions like 'can you eat those pip things in the middle of tomatoes?'

Some important non-housework ones!
Use their local public transport confidently
Look adults in the eye (if culturally appropriate) and talk to them sensibly
Choose books from the library
Entertain guests of their own age or younger

DD (12) is capable of doing any household chores that I do, including cooking. In fact, she quite often is in complete charge of cooking dinner on a Saturday night! Both DH & I are big on food stuff though, so I expect she is slightly advance for her age.

She's knows which bus to get into town, where to get it from and where to get off too.

dd2 (11) can use the pc, make cups of tea, clean the kitchen, tidy up generally, make toast, sandwiches, scrambled eggs, nip to the local shops

that kind of thing

Ok-this looks like the sort of list so far...

prepare simple snack
use dishwasher microwave etc
buy simple stuff in shop (remembering your pin number if necessary 0
choose own library books
amuse self without electrical devices
remember stuff for school
cross road
get help in crisis- 999/reverse call/ helful neighbour
simple ironing
clean shoes
run own bath or shower and leave it fit for someone else afterwards
ensure bedroom is not a health hazard
use public transport

What about basic first aid?

Yes, good point...

How to try and stop a bleed?

Recovery position?

Burns and scalds?

(things kids or teens might encounter)

And the 'more advanced' awareness of Stranger Danger

Think by 11 they should (sadly) have to be aware of things like internet safety, being approached whilst out

Noooooo! Don't give her your PIN number! She'll learn that life skill of how to buy a pair of shoes!

I guess first aid is a bonus. Does she do Brownies or Guides? They are fab for sorting life skills. In fact, DD has just come back from Guides having spent the evening with a ref from St Johns.

my 11 year old is allegedly bright

he CANNOT do any of this stuff -well!
none of it!

I want to be able to let herself into the house at the end of school in yr 7. I'd rather she came with a friend, but want her to be able to deal with anything untoward that might go on. So burns etc- yes
general stranger danger /safety awareness- yes and then something about keeping a cool head in a crisis and not allowing others to trash my house whilst I'm not in!