Parents say kids should have an iPad by the age of 11, Snapchat by 14 and be allowed home alone by 16 – so do you agree?
A survey of 2,000 mums and dads found they have a very clear idea of when their children should have achieved, or be allowed to do, particular things
CHILDREN should be able to tie their shoelaces at eight, ride a bike at seven and be trusted to have their own front door key by 14, according to parents.
A survey of 2,000 mums and dads found they have a very clear idea of when their children should have achieved, or be allowed to do, particular things.
Parents also believe the kids should be allowed pocket money at nine, start putting their own clothes in the wash at eight and be old enough to have a Facebook account at 14.
Youngsters are also considered mature enough to walk to school alone and have their own mobile phone at 12 years of age.
Commissioned by My Nametags, manufacturer of durable sticker and iron-on labels, the research among parents with kids aged two to 18, also found 70 per cent believe privileges are granted too soon nowadays.
Lars B. Andersen of My Nametags, said: “The survey just goes to show some of the many intricacies of being a parent.
“Of course, every child is different and may be able to do things or take on certain responsibilities later or earlier than our results show.
“However, it’s fascinating to get some indication of when mums and dads will typically allow or expect their kids to do certain things.”
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The study also found mums and dads will let their kids watch 12 certificate movies alone at 12 years old, 15 certificate movies at 14 and 18 certificate movies aged 16.
Once they reach 16 they can have friends over when mum and dad aren’t around and also be out after dark.
While 15 is the age they can listen to explicit songs, go on dates and start buying their own clothes.
Parents are happy for their youngsters to have a TV in their bedroom at 11 years old and trust them to surf the web unsupervised when they are 12.
WhatsApp and Snapchat accounts are permitted at 14, while MP3 players and tablets are allowed at 12 – and laptops are considered acceptable at 13.
Ten is the age they can have friends over for sleepovers and go to their pals for overnight stays too.
And 13 is the point when parents trust their children to be in the house alone and also go out on their own.
Those polled believe children can stay up until 8pm at eight years old, not go to bed until 9pm aged ten and not get their heads down until 10pm aged 12.
Twenty-nine per cent of mums and dads consider themselves to be stricter than other parents.
However, 56 per cent said they granted many of the privileges featured in the research earlier than they were granted them by their own mums and dads.
Four in ten said they feel peer pressure from other parents to allow their kids to do certain things, while half have fallen out with their partner over the kid's privileges.
Teaching children the value of belongings and how to avoid loss are among the things that cause mums and dads the most problems as their youngsters get older.
Age of expectation - a timeline:
16 YEARS OLD: Have friends over when parents are away. Go out after dark.
15 YEARS OLD: Listen to explicit songs. Go on a date. Buy their own clothes. Have a girlfriend or boyfriend round to visit. Drink energy drinks.
14 YEARS OLD: Have Facebook. Have Snapchat. Go to town with friends. Have their own front door key. Have WhatsApp. Go to the cinema with friends.
13 YEARS OLD: Be in the house alone. Go out on their own. Go to the shop on their own. FaceTime friends. Have a computer in their bedroom.
12 YEARS OLD: Walk to school on their own. Surf the web alone. Own a mobile phone. Cycle to school. Play at the local park unsupervised. Have a laptop. Have an MP3 player.
11 YEARS OLD: Have a tablet device. Have a TV in their bedroom.
10 YEARS OLD: Put the dishes away. Take care of their school uniform. Not to lose belongings. Understand the value of their possessions. Be allowed to choose what they wear. Have friends over for sleepovers. Go to friends for sleepovers. Fold-up clothes when they take them off. Get ready by themselves.
9 YEARS OLD: Lay the table. Start getting pocket money. Bath or shower without help.
8 YEARS OLD: Tie their own shoelaces. Put their own clothes in the wash. Brush their teeth without help.
7 YEARS OLD: Ride a bike.
Andersen, added: “It’s also really interesting to find that a parent’s biggest worry is their child losing something, especially as we don’t expect children to be responsible for their possessions until the age of ten – which is halfway through primary school.
“That’s a lot of school kit which can go missing before they learn to take care of it, exactly why our name labels for children are so popular.''
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