I don't think other moms will like me :/

bigbear

I grew up in Europe and I've done things at age of 6 that kids here don't do when they are in their teens.

Now, I"m not saying that what I was doing is something that I"ll let my kids do (I was peeling potatoes, cutting them up and making mashed potatoes, I was making my own chicken etc. It was one of my chores if I would be home from school before my mom. So YES I had my key and would stay home alone, too)

I never had any problems with it and I still dont' see it as anything bad. Thats just how it was back there back then.... All kids were like that.

So while I won't have my daughter peel potatoes with a knife at age of 6, I will have her pack her own school bag, have her do her homework and only help and sit with her if she needs my help.

What I"m trying to say is: I think people are babying kids way too much these days . I have several people at work who say that their 7year old still refuses to eat with a fork and that her school bag has to be packed for her and that the 11year old is too young to understand the resposibility of having a retainer and making sure she doesn't loose it. Another one is 13 and is still not allowed to stay home alone (Arent you old enough to babysit at that age already?) And that's just crazy to me.

I just don't think that kids learn repsonsibility the right way. If they are used to you always packing their bag and don't learn the consequence of not having a book at school one day how will they learn to be independant and know it is their resposibility and not the parent's.

I hope I'm not sounding like a total moron and hope that I"m explaining myself right. I will still let my kid be a kid and will not force things but some things should be introduced early on as it will only help them out.

What are your thoughts on this??