Can your 9 year old...? (Self care questions)

[LynnS6]

I'm just curious about these self care issues for a 9 year old. I need to know how hard to push ds this summer when we have more time....

[Viola]

Are you making a poll?

[LynnS6]

Yep, the poll is there now, it just takes a few minutes!

[momof2kiddos]

hummm Lets see...My DS is 9 and can...

1. Brush Teeth on his own with reminding (You think they would remember these things)
2. Shower alone
3. Dress Self and choose his own clothes but still ask if they look ok and match
3. Tye own shoes

[momof2kiddos]

Ok Duh...I guess I was too fast. I did the Poll as well.

[Viola]

I think a 9 year old should be able to do all of that, but I'm trying to remember what my daughter could do when she was 9. She's only made her own lunch once or twice, and I think that was in the past year--she just turned 11 this month.

She can tie her own shoes now, but she still can't dish her own ice cream. At least she asks me to do it, when we have ice cream. I still make her lunch for her. She recently was able to heat up a can of soup.

She doesn't wear a watch nor do we make beds in this house, but she can buckle her own belt. Maybe I'll just go vote in the poll.

[mysticmomma]

sorry... i voted for my 5 yo dd.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

DD can do everything on the list. Most of them she has been doing for a few years now.

[Multimomma]

I answered yes on all of those for my almost nine yo, for my almost 7yo, he can do everything but heat up soup. He makes his own sandwiches for lunch though.

[zeldamomma]

Both my 9 and 7 y.o. daughters can do all of those things, however my younger dd might not be doing them all if she weren't following the example of my oldest. My oldest is very driven to do things herself, my younger dd likes to be taken care of.

[eclipse]

My 9 year old can do all of those things except tie shoes, and I didn't vote on the belt because I don't know if he can or not - he doesn't wear belts. He also doesn't clip his nails, but I'm pretty sure he can. He can wash his own hair, but getting him to do it is kind of a nightmare, so usually I call it a victory when I actually get him in the shower and it gets all wet. He can also comb his own hair - but same story with that. He says he wants a buzz cut, so hopefully that issue will be solved soon.

[nextcommercial]

Well, she never had a watch, and I don't know if she could have put one on.

But, I said yes, to every one of those things. Because Yes, she COULD do them.. but, would and could are two different things. She is quite capable of making her own lunch..... but, she's too lazy to get out of bed with enough time to do that.

[One_Girl]

My dd is seven and she can do almost all of that except clipping her nails and heating up soup.

[Alyantavid]

Mine's only 8 but he can do all of that except clip his own nails and heating up soup. But we've never let him clip his own nails I guess so I honestly don't know if he could. As for the soup, same thing, it's never come up. He does really well in the kitchen so I'm sure he could if he needed to.

[4evermom]

I voted for my 8 1/2 yo. He is a little sensory averse so mostly no on the handling food. He'd probably be ok making a deli sandwich but not spreading PB. He doesn't like touching messy food. I think scooping ice cream might happen in another year. He'd rather not due to the sticky factor. He doesn't eat soup. He can work the microwave but he's never opened a can of soup and poured it into a bowl. He'll put pasta into boiling water but I'll drain it. He'll put away the flatware and rinse spots that get on clothes he likes (not that you asked but I don't want to shortchange him, lol). He can't tie his shoes. I think all his pants are pull on but he can do snaps and buttons if he needs to and the pants aren't getting too tight. He just started reliably getting dressed completely on his own, including velcro shoes, this winter. I'm sure he could make a bed if he wanted to. It might not look great. He can probably manage to put on a watch at this point but I can see him asking me to do it if I'm around. He doesn't like getting his head wet and he doesn't wash his own hair. But he has clipped his nails for years. That is one of the few self care things he is interested in doing.

[Hey Mama!]

My oldest will be 9 in Sept and can do all of the mentioned tasks, but I did not check heat up soup or scoop ice cream. These two foods aren't often served in our house and I still plate all her food for her. I'm sure she could do it herself but I just do it for her.

[Drummer's Wife]

My 9 yr old can do all of the above, and has for some time now. Well, the soup doesn't exactly apply, but a couple times she has used the electric can opener and warmed up pinto beans in the microwave - so I checked it. I think part of why she is so independent is that she is the oldest of 4 - so it's usually faster to just do things herself then wait for help.

[Irishmommy]

Mine has been doing all of that for a few years. She's also capable of staying home alone for a while, goes to school and back without an adult. She's awesome!

[damona]

my ds will be 9 on saturday he can do all these things except the real fine motor stuff... clipping his own nails, tying shoes and putting on a watch. he's been making his own sandwiches for at least 2 or 3 years. (heck, my 5yo makes his own pb&j's! mostly cuz he's too impatient to wait for me to get to it ) my 9yo has aspergers, tho, so i'm pretty pleased that he can do all this stuff. he'll get the rest of it in time, i'm sure.

[2xy]

I checked everything except for "make own lunch for school," "buckle a belt," and "put on a watch." My kids, at the age of 9, had never had to pack a lunch for school....and they aren't in the habits of belts or watches. So, I'm not sure if they could do those things.