How much do you do for your teens/pre teens?

[jampots]

My dd was just complaining to dh that she quite often has to make her own breakfast. Now she doesnt have to but prefers hers before she gets washed/dressed etc so invariably puts the toaster on then. At 12 I think this is reasonable.

[potty1]

My 11 year old dd makes her own. Ds1, 17 does his own but ds2, 14, only has breakfast if I make it for him. Grrrrr.

I'm starting a bit of a crackdown on mealtimes jampots, because I seem to be forever in the kitchen either cooking, washing up or clearing up after one of the kids have made something for themselves. They all want to eat different things at different times and I've had enough of it.

[jampots]

thats exactly the same here potty. always washing/clearing etc

[saffy202]

My 11 year old ds makes his own in the hols as basically he gets up too late and breakfast is long gone Do you let them make hot drinks? He is just starting to have a cup of tea a day but when he was on a resedential school trip last year the teacher laughed at him for not knowing how to make one - I'm just wary he'll scald himself.

[mumeeee]

All my childrem get their own breakfast and can make a hot drink. They are 18 15 and 13. The 13 year old is dyspraxic so she neds wathing when making a hot drink but she is able to do it.
The older two will iron their own clothes when they need somthing to wear. I think it is good for teenagers to do things for themselves.

[Lonelymum]

Crikey on the breakfast issue, I get my older children to do their own (only cereal and pouring milk) and they are only 9 and 7!

[Lonelymum]

They can do toast too.

[bbmad]

Mine were doing the same at 6 and 8 lonelymum!

If my now 13 year old dd does not like what I am cooking for dinner, she makes herself something, usually beans on toast or soup.

[frogs]

Mine make breakfast, but they do it for all of us, we all eat together. My dd1 has been making cups of tea (for us not her!) since she was 8, without incident. She now cooks supper one night a week (she's 10), usually pasta with sauce, and is also allowed to bake cakes by herself, though she has to let me know she's doing it.

She can also feed the toddler, do bath, nappy change and kiddies' bedtime (not every day, obviously, before you assume I'm using her as a child slave ). But I think by the end of primary school they should be capable of most household tasks that don't involve vats of hot food or dangerous chemicals.

[Tortington]

mine make thier own breakfast and cook their own tea on a friday sometimes ( as its the beginning of my weekend fairs fair)
each has a job - these jobs change from time to time and with age but they seemed to have been doing chores for years.

emma (12)cleans the kitchen sides and cleans the bathroom - the bathroom means clean the bath and sink til shiney and clean windowsil, empty the bin and hoover the floor

joseph(15) does living room and dining roomincluding all living room sides furniture and cleaning the floor. he sometimes hoovers the landing and hall floor too - depending on my pmt usually

Jacob(12) does toilet - hand down the bog clean it proper - clean on top of the tank put book and magazines vertical on windowsil. he also sweeps down the stairs with a handbrush.

this is done on a weekend

daily chores are to move thier own shit - shoes coats bikes skateboards, spanners etc wash their own plates set the table make me and dh a brew.

they also tidy their own rooms - this is only on a monthly basis.

my son had a morning paperround at 12 - hes now at a building firm in the holidays.

my twinnies are going to be doing a paperround soon too. must learn work = money, nothing in life is free and rarely is it fair " aww mum its not fair!" no shit tough!

so no making toast int he morning is no biggie

[Fauve]

I might nick your schedule, custardo. Sounds like it's about right, not too much, not too little.

[lemonice]

He seems to be in the kitchen now, I try to make them do something occasionally...ratn and shout..I earnt a Kaiser Ciefers CD and one clean bedroom yesterday..

[lemonice]

I do nothing for them..

[sunnydelight]

Can your 12 year olds meet mine please Custardo! (actually, as I assume you live in/near Brighton according to the meet ups as do I maybe they will someday!!!) My 12 year old son makes himself a nutella sandwich for breakfast at weekends (he hates breakfast so if I want him to eat something before school not only do I have to make it, but I have to tempt him with something nice!!!!), and that's about it. Trouble is with a 6 and 2 year old I'm doing stuff for them anyway so it's as easy to do something for three as it is for two... Apart from that he tidies his room when I nag him, mows the lawn for a fiver and that's about it. All three children, including the 2 year old, are expected to bring their plate and cup from the dining room to the kitchen when they're finished eating, and help set the table - I need to get stricter!!!!

[Lara2]

My 12 year old thinks he's hard done by if he has to do anything, but this summer it finally dawned on him that he had no money because he didn't do anything to earn it!! Doh!! So now he does the dishwasher, his room, puts his stuff away and makes his own breakfast/snacks. I must add he gets paid for the dishwasher but the other stuff is expected. he's now eagerly awaiting his birthday so he can get a paper round. I ignored all pleas of "Everybody else just gets pocket money" and like custardo have a tough luck attitude - you want it, you earn it!
DS2 has cottoned on to this and empties all the bins for his money. No arguments at all from him!

[dweebusdad]

Wish custy had brought my kids up, they're not very organised, but since teens have done most things they're asked or expected to do. All their own basic stuff. In return for pocket money of course, and they do part time stuff here and there.

[ScreamEagle]

I have 5 kids - dd is nearly 14 and ds's are 11.5, 9.5, 2.5 and 10mths. Now obviously I don't expect the younger 2 to do that much yet but the older 3 do the following:-

Prepare their own breakfasts
Prepare their own packed lunches for school

Take turns to:
wash and dry the dishes
load the dishwasher
sweep the floor
wipe the table
empty the bins


They are also capable of:
making a cup/pot of tea
making egg/cheese/beans on toast
making pasta salad
making basic cakes

My 11 and 13 can also cook a chips/sausage/beans type meal without supervision and are keen to learn how to make a Sunday roast.

All of the older 3 can, and are expected to, polish/hoover their bedrooms and change their bed linen.

Like custardo, they seem to have been doing all this for years too; I guess from about age 7 or so.

[BaronessMarsLady]

Pretty much the same as ScreamEagle!

My older two can both make at least one main meal. DS1 can do a roast dinner, a Jamaican dinner, pasta dishes etc... Fab!

My aim is that they all take over all the household chores and I don't have to do anything.

[dweebusdad]

Just thought, both dd1 and 2 have probably been able to run the house since each was about 13. Ds, who is 14, is pretty useless at most things around the house...oops, say no more.