SURVEY Just so I'm reeeeeeeaaaaly clear and understand what is "normal" for other people- at what age do you consider it appropriate to do the following?

[LynetteScavo]

1.Wean your baby.

2.Allow your child sweets.

3.Have your DCs ear/s pierced.

4.Leave your DC home for 20 mins.

5.Please feel free to add your own.

Wean- DD 14 weeks bad HV, DS 6 1/2months ignored bad HV.

Sweets- Nothing given from me or DH before chocolate first birthday cake, GP's bent the rules though No sweets until 3 with minor exceptions.

Ears pierced- DD 8 desperate has to wait til 10 DH thinks 12 though, hope DS 4 never wants his done.

Leave at home- Don't know depends on child I was 12 when left for half an hour, v.mature but didn't like it. Have left them in house to knock on neighbours door with parcel for 5-ish mins though.

Walking to school- DD will be next school year we can see school from house though, I'd let her now as there is a lollypop lady but DH doesn't agree.

Walk to shop- DD has been allowed since 6 can see shop and for a while I watched her cross the road too, on first go she was stopped by police! but they just checked she was allowed out and she pointed at me waving through the window like mad, felt re-assured actually.

Use a sharp knife- this always proves contraversial(sp) I have let dc use a sharp knife to cut raw veg next to me from 2.5 ish the knife is small and has a round end so not pointy but will cut a pepper or carrot. They have never cut themselves.

wean - when they're interested, anytime after 4 months.

sweets - chocolate from 6 months, sweets, no idea!

ears pierced - 16! but will negotiate to 13 if pushed!

leave at home - depends on child, not before 8 ish.

walking to school - 9 (when kids move up to middle school around here)

walking to shop - dunno... probably 9ish as shop not within sight and busy road to cross.

sleepovers - family and very close friends ok once they sleep through more or less reliably (about 6 months ish here), families I don't know well, depends on child, but not before 8ish.

using sharp knife - small knife with round end and close supervision, 3 ish.

making sandwich/snack - as soon as they can reach worktop and manipulate required tools, probably around 3 ish again, dd loves trying to spread jam on her toast at 2.

1, Never
2, Never
3, Never
4, Never
5, Never

1. guidelines were 4 mths when mine were babies. (younger in reality). BF all three for over 12 months.

1. when doting relatives got away with it, tbh, in tiny amounts.

1. 16 (boys). DS1 14 and showing no interest.

1. 9/10.

1. I did mine both at around the 6 month mark.

1. As soon as they are old enough to understand what sweets are and that they are missing out.

1. When they are old enough to want it and to understand the implications. (I suspect around the 11/ 12 age range, but not there yet!)

1. When they are old enough to want to, and are mature enough to cope with the responsibility.

With the exception of 1, I think most things are so very personal to the child in question. For example, DD1 never had any concept of what sweets were until she was almost 3. DD2, saw her big sister eating them and so had them much younger. Each child is different, and matures in their own way. There cannot be any hard and fast rules for this reason.

.Wean your baby.

About 4 months, he still has morning and night milk feeds though at 9 months

2.Allow your child sweets.

He had chocolate from about 5 months lol.

3.Have your DCs ear/s pierced.

I dont have a girl, but probably when t hey get into high school.

4.Leave your DC home for 20 mins.

Not sure, maybe 10? Primary sevenish.

:D

1. wean @ 6mths
2. sweets @ about 2yrs, but then only a few as a treat and def after a meal
3. pierced ears - i have boys, so when they leave home, but i suppose if i had girls then maybe about 13ish?
4. leave at home? i dont know... mine are only 3.10yrs and 5mths, so far too young! but maybe 10 - 12, if on their own or with an older sibling, but i would never leave a child younger than 15/16 with a younger sibling, the responsibility is too much for them imo.

1. It was 4 months when DD was a baby, I did at around 19 weeks.

1. Buttons at 9 months or so, can't remember what time sweets followed but some time around two I think.

1. When she was 13 months.

1. I'll leave her for 5 minutes now (age 7), that's all for the forseeable future, anywhere else I'd have to go would be for longer and further away than I'd be happy with for maybe another two years.

1. Sleepovers, I'd let her go now if I knew the parents and she will go on her first Beaver sleepover in the next few months.

I will not be hosting anytime soon though.

1. Sleeping in own room, from birth.

1. Using a sharp knife, around now but she's used dinner knives to cut stuff for years. I've recently let her start using the oven too.

1. - also it depends where you are going - next door for a cuppa, or 10 mins away in the car on the motorway for example

1.Wean your baby. - we started at 5 months.

2.Allow your child sweets. - we said 1 year, our family said when we have some in our pockets.

3.Have your DCs ear/s pierced. - when they have money for it and don't need me to accompany them. It should be their choice not the parents'.

4.Leave your DC home for 20 mins. - don't really know. They are not getting left alone at the moment as they are only 6 and 4.

5.Please feel free to add your own. -don't want to.

1. Wean your baby - start around 6 months

2.Allow your child sweets - huh, it happened behind my back (thank you DSS2 )

3.Have your DCs ear/s pierced - I hope this won't be an issue until her teens

4.Leave your DC home for 20 mins - at about 6/7