Gc lacking in life skills.

My 11 year old grandson cut back my three giant bushes last week as my arthritic shoulder was playing up. He grabbed the loppers ( which apparently looked cool)...I showed him how to handle them with safety first as his 7 year old sister was in the garden....she then asked if she could clear up all the cuttings for me , which she did....taking garden rubbish out to front of house and depositing in garden bin!!! She made 6/7 journeys with armliads of Stuff. It took them both 2 hours of hard graft . When they’d finished I gave them both £7 each fit a job well done. They didn’t know about being rewarded before the work. Then the 11 year old made sandwiches for lunch and brewed some tea. He’s now always after little jobs to do around bans house...and there’s plenty to keep him busy.

My 10yr old GD gives me baking lessons! I think there's something wrong here somehow

As my two reached secondary school age we introduced a once a week special dinner where I served an "eating out" type of meal to get them used to the wide variety of cuisines, serving styles and tableware. For example prawns would be whole and they simply followed our lead in peeling them, putting the debris on a side plate then using the provided finger bowls. With snails they learned how to get the little blighters out. With Chinese food the use of chopsticks etc.
Many years later I was amused when DS1 mentioned that he was appalled at how uncouth so many of his peers were when eating out and how senior management seemed to assess them over elaborate dinners. He thanked me for teaching him proper table manners.

I was thinking that too.
Seems a lot of fuss over it.

Why does a sausage roll even need cutting up - just pick it up in the napkin and bite!!

Well, if * kircubbin* saw him eating his tea beautifully later the same day, perhaps he just wasn't hungry. Or maybe he just wasn't used to eating when not at the table.

It seems all's well that ends well.

a snack is not the same as lunch- no?

?

My two year old granddaughter tells me which bin to put which rubbish in and where to find the things she wants to eat. She eats with a spoon and fork. I will admit to cutting up her food, but it won't be long before it's "Ella do"i

I m not at all worried by a sausage roll on a plate in front of the TV but the fact that a 10 year old won’t eat unless it’s cut up for him is the concern......but in a later post kircunnin says she went round to tea and he sat at a table and cut his own food so it’s seems it’s not the mother but the grandmother that’s causing the lazy ‘looked after’ grandchild

So why is everyone up in arms about the OP then,

nought wrong with having a snack in front of TV merlot.

Bad grandmother of the decade signing in...…..

When I used to have the DGSs after school I would often let them have a snack (sausage rolls count as a snack in my house) in front of the telly. We would watch Pointless or something similar.

They always ate proper meals at the table but I would never have made a big deal about cutting up a sausage roll for them (less mess for a start)

Granny's house was for chilling out.

dogsmother you may think that will make you a popular granny but you could become an unpopular MIL.

And you could find that your DGC may one day start telling you off for bad manners.

However, I will take it that your post is jokey!

Well, from birth I greeted every little step my DC made towards independence with cheers and encouraged them all the way. I did nothing for them, if they could do it for themselves.

I was never, nor ever wanted to be, defined by motherhood. Lets face it there is nothing remarkable about being a parent. It is something most people achieve..

Son of a friend first year at University, called her to ask for a toaster. When she suggested he use the grill he replied tat it was no good as it only did one side. You have to laugh.?

My lot were certainly able to heat a sausage roll and eat it by age 10. By age 12 they all had to be able to prepare and cook a simple meal for the 5 of us. They would select something and I ensured all the ingredients were available. Usually for a Saturday evening. They still remember the fun they had with the cooking then all of us having to eat whatever was produced. DS suggested this to his 16 year old DSS to improve his life skills. Went down like a lead balloon - too busy!

Petalmoore the sea gulls unfortunately perch on the roof.They know I sometimes feed the stray cat in the back yard.

I always remember when my daughter was a little over a year old and we were having Sunday dinner with a lot of older relatives. I felt very much on show. Thankfully she sat on a booster seat and had a small portion of what everyone else was eating which she ate beautifully with a spoon and fork. This was a little over twenty years ago. I find it almost beyond belief that a child of ten could not cut a sausage roll.

Were the seagulls in the sitting room? Seriously, are we all sure that the grandson wasn’t told to wait for permission before starting to eat?

What does he do at school - ask someone to cut his food up? What a rod his other is making for both their backs!

Wow....I’m awaiting the grandchildren, but I’m certainly going to be the naughtiest gran ever much maligned by you all!
I’m probably going to sit in front of the tv with the 10 year old who I will have already taught plenty of bad habits to. Although I dare say he would probably have had to make them with me first of all.

When my son was seven he said he had to take some cakes for the school Christmas party. He made them himself.

My 7 year old GD won't use a knife and fork. It horrifies me to see her picking everything up with her fingers. I remember standing behind my children with my hands on top of theirs and showing them how to cut up their food and eat with cutlery. Do mums not do that now?

My bugbear is chldren of 2,3, or even 4 years old who are allowed to wander round with a dummy in their mouth . I've even seen them speak with said object in mouth - though naturally it's pretty unintelligible!