You've come a long way, baby. Celebrate your nearly ten-year-old's growing independence with a check-list of skills they know.
I always think being ten is a tricky age. Too old to be considered little and too young to have the privileges of teenagers. It's a sort of no-man's land.
One way to celebrate this upcoming milestone in your child's life is to tick off the life skills they have mastered and to set some new challenges for the ones they haven't. After all, it's a unique age and not one where you're just waiting til you're closer to being a teenager.
Here at Ready for Ten we've been focusing on learning new things this month from teaching the velcro generation how to tie shoelaces, to learning to read and from mastering cooking skills to learning a second language.
But what are those life skills children should know by the age of ten? Those things that are useful to know, enhance life and boost confidence but which aren't taught at school?
I've compiled a list, gleaned from one featured in one of my favourite parenting books, online lists and my own thoughts:
- Telling the time with an analogue watch.
- Knowing the names of clouds.
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Cooking a simple meal.
- Recognising five different species of bird.
- Baking bread.
- Knowing a couple of important phone numbers off by heart.
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Making (and flying) a kite.
- Making breakfast in bed for mum or dad.
- Using a washing machine.
- Map reading.
- The art of saving money.
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How to grow a vegetable.
- Using a dictionary.
- Loading the dishwasher.
- Stranger danger.
- How to look after a pet.
- Taking phone messages.
- Changing a bed.
- How to write a thank you note.
- Sorting the recycling.
Do you agree with this list or do you think it's irrelevant as each child develops at a different pace? What would you add or leave out?
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25 May, 2010
What a lovely list of skills - I'm going to start working on some of these with my children... I especially fancy the washing machine and bed changing skill!
25 May, 2010
Folding and putting away their own washing, washing dishes by hand (we don't have a dishwasher), can't think of anything else just at the mo. Might add more later xx
mum
25 May, 2010
Excellent list. Can I add packing their own schoolbag every day? And packing their own luggage (with supervision) for trips away?
What about looking things up on Google?
editor
25 May, 2010
This is a lovely list of things to do, I'm always wary of writing/reading what children "should" be able to do for fear of causing angst among parents whose children haven't reached a certain "milestone" or other. My girls can't do a fair few of the ones listed - because I'm rubbish at them too - I haven't baked bread since my school days and I can be rendered speechless by my unstinting ability to be nobbled by a pesky quilt going into its cover. Off the top of my head, mine would be that by the age of ten children should understand that people are all different and that they should be able to respect those differences based on ethnicity, sexual orientation (yes really) or bakground, they should know how to laugh until their sides feel like they will split and they fear losing control of their bladder and they should know how to be a good friend.
mum
25 May, 2010
Great additions Linda! I understand your wariness but, like you say, I think if your child can't do any of them it may be because it's not something they had been shown so not really a reflection of the child.
I have an idea to do another post but this time all about experiences rather than life skills.
I love all the other suggestions too. Funny how they're things that are useful to us/the running of the home! LOL!
And @Utterlyscrummy - no dishwasher???! Couldn't live without mine (but there are seven of us so lots of dirty plates/cutlery).
25 May, 2010
Well as a mum of a soon to be ten year old (August 12th - gulp) I'm pleased to say Miss E can do a fair few of these and pretty much all of LInda's additions.
We've planted veg today and while Miss E may not know the scientific names of clouds she is fab at coming up with daft names for other things. We maybe should work on the meal one as she's not got beyond making toast and cereal yet, but she's not very tall so I'm a bit weary of letting her loose with the cooker. We may creat a fab salad together. :D
25 May, 2010
There are five of us (2 adults, 3 children) in a rented house with no dishwasher. The 7yo & 10yo are used to washing dishes on the weekends. They each pack their school bags each day and can even make their own lunches, if somewhat reluctantly. My 3yo likes to help load/unload the washer and clothes dryer and pegs out the smalls on a couple of drying racks while I hang the clothes on the clothesline. My 3 girls earn their pocket money by helping around the house doing age appropriate tasks each week. :o)
mum
25 May, 2010
That's a lovely list although I have to admit I can't remember the names of clouds myself and I can't bake bread! As I am writing a Ready for Ten post on this, I am going to add swimming as an essential life skill.
26 May, 2010
This is such a beautiful post, Deb. I think you're right -- technologies and lifestyles change, but there are some basic skills we all need to know. This checklist is a great approach -- comprehensive and very doable. I can see a lot of nine-year-olds being pretty chuffed that they've made it this far.
admin
26 May, 2010
I love your list Deb and agree with all of the tasks listed. It might be nice to add (if applicable) "Read story to younger siblings at bedtime" perhaps? I know my three year old sits and watches in awe as my five year old reads words (albeit disjointed)
Leigh
Ready for Ten Team