2 Much 2 ask?

2BMrs.Carter

Good Morning,I need to know if it's too much to ask for a ten year old boy to be able to dress himself in the morning.  I need him to brush teeth, brush hair, put on clothes (that he picked out the night before) and a belt.  I also need him to tie his tennis shoes immediately after putting them on.  My SS leaves out one or two of these things every morning.  I'm just imagining how this is going to be after the baby comes.  So, anyone out there with a ten-year-boy, please respond.  Can yours do these things or not? Are my expectations unrealistic? HELP!!!!!!!!!

D-lightful

I don't have kids, but I was just reading and maybe if you make a fun daily check list for him....he would enjoy it?

Like if you got a white board and wrote or drew picts of the things he needed to do every Morning, and then once he does each, he puts a check with a dry erase marker?

Sounds like he might like it - for like a week or two, but then maybe it will becoming habit?

nanantato

Umm, my kid is 7.

Every morning, he brushes his teeth, washes his face, gets dressed, grabs his snack for school and sometimes makes his own breakfast (cereal)

It starts with the parent, you have to teach them and be patient. Now if he's too lazy, start taking things away until he get it right. Then it becomes routine.

LoveEeyore

No, it's not too much.  When I was 7 I had an alarm clock, got myself ready for and to school by myself (My mom would wake for a bye-have-a-good-day kiss).  At 10 that's not much, but kids can be forgetful.  Consider maybe a chart to put up in his room to remind him of the steps?  Offer a reward for days he gets all steps independently, or serve breakfast when he's done?  Teach him to do all steps in the exact same order every day so it becomes habit?  It's not too much to ask, but he's a kid and may need to be shown how to be more independent.  Good luck!

2BMrs.Carter

Thanks!  I came up with the chart idea but DH says he wants him to remember on his own.  NOT working, I'm posting a chart.  He isn't the one there in the morning trying to get him ready since he leaves for work at 4:30 a.m. 

Tinkermeg

I have been getting myself up and dressed since I was about 6 or 7.

 

My brother on the other hand, always gave my parents a hard time. He is a senior in college (communtes) and either my mom or his gf has to wake him up to go to college.

I would try to help him as much as you can now, so you're not calling him when he's 25 every morning reminding him to get up and get ready for work.

 

IU_baby

My coworker's daughter is 7 and in second grade.  This year, they gave her an alarm clock that she uses everyday, dresses herself and brushes her teeth.  Her mom still makes her breakfast, but she's downstairs and ready.

They also pick all of her clothes for the week on Sundays and put them in a little hanging divider thing that's labeled by day.  That way, there are no questions on what she's wearing that day and they don't go through the clothes the night before or in the morning.