What to teach 7 year old?

[moorin]

My 7 year old Daughter came to me recently and asked me to show her how to use the microwave and toaster (wouldn't let her get anything out of a microwave obviously).

I realised that whilst I'd taught her a few things such as how to use the washing machine, to make her own breakfast etc, perhaps there's a load of things I should have taught her to use/do by this age.

My Mum never showed me how to do ANYTHING. As a result, when I left home I had absolutely no idea how to do anything at all.

I'm worried I'm doing the same thing to my Daughter! Which things do you think are important for a 7 year old to learn how to do?

Basic cleaning tasks
Pair socks
Fold clothes
Change bedding (with help for duvet cover)

My 7 year olds can load and unload the dishwasher and turn it on, also use the microwave with my supervision. My daughter can make basic food like toast, scrambled egg, sandwiches. They generally don't but can!!!

How great she is interested in learning these things! Absolutely good to be careful about microwaves - I got a steam burn the other day. Other ideas:

making sandwiches (you can help cutting in half with sharp knives etc)
Simple food prep (Grating cheese, peeling veg and potatoes)
cups of tea (obviously being careful with the kettle but an adult can help)
loading/unloading dishwasher if you have one
simple gardening tasks

At 7 I wouldn't go mad tbh. I'd encourage her to help you with the cooking, washing etc and explaining as you go, but more as an activity you do together rather than a lesson as such, and she will pick it up as you go. I don't think you need to have her washing her own clothes at 7.

By 10, mine were making their own breakfast and often lunches (at home, I still made their packed lunch until about 11 and I still make my 12 year old's as they have ADHD and take an absolute to do anything, so it's just easier).

Putting shoes, jackets and school bags away tidy, prepping sports kit. Emptying wastebasket from their room, tidying their toys away, hoovering, washing and drying dishes. Definitely making toast as long as they know to tell you they are doing it.

My 5yo is keen to help and learn too, but is accident prone and obviously still v small. He does love helping with the hoovering though, we have a little handheld one for stairs, edges, skirtings, so he can help robot hoover out!

Great, thanks everyone for the ideas!

Lay the table, make their own bed, turn the TV and radio on and off, sweep the floor and dust around, clean the bathroom, how long to boil an egg for (obviously don't do this themselves, just count the minutes.

My 7 year old knows how to use the microwave and can heat up things such as hot dog sausages obviously not baked beans or soup