For parents of 6, 7 and 8 year olds?

Question

Just to get an idea of different personalities describe your child and age, mainly how independent are they? Do they need your undivided attention or do they play well alone? Can they tie shoes? Are they the type of child that always wants to "help" you and follow you around? Or do they always have to be doing something?? Thanks.

Answer 1

My son is almost 6. He can tie his own shoes...he is very independent, but he loves to help me with things. Yeah he follows me around. He also plays well alone, but he gets bored very easily.

Answer 2

My son is 7 and my daughter just turned 9 this month.  They are both extremely independent and play very well alone (or with each other, their other siblings, other kids, or with adults).  My daughter can tie shoes but my son can't (through nobody's fault but mine, as I've only bought him velcro. he just got a pair of soccer cleats with laces, so now he's going to learn).  both are brimming with their own ideas on how they want to spend their day, and though they're certainly helpful and happy for adult company, they don't have any interest in following me around or having me choose an activity for them, and they're perfectly content doing their thing while i do mine.

one time i was so amazed with my daughter for her seemingly unending creativity in keeping herself occupied that i asked her what she would do if she ran out of ideas for what to play next.  she looked at me with her eyebrows raised and said if she didn't have any ideas that would probably mean she wasn't alive.:-)

Answer 3

My kids all learned to tie their shoes at 4. At those ages they were all independent, my girls more so. My son is a snuggler and is my most openly affectionate child. They play ok alone, but prefer to seek out a sibling. My son is most likely to play alone. They like to always be doing things, with my son being the wiggliest. My 3rd (girl) is most likely to follow me and seek me out.

Answer 4

I have two sons.. 6 and 8. Both have entirely different personalitys. My 6 yr old is very loving and sensative, yet he is also very independant.He is definitly a big helper, anything I ask him to do, he does with a smile. They are both extreamly rough. My 8 yr old has a wise mouth, prefers to do things himself and his own way. IHe is also lazy. tend to treat him like he is grown since he is my first child and has been with me through a lot. The 6 year old is more like my baby.

They can both tie their shoes.

Answer 5

My daughter is 7 1/2 and she is very independent. She has been able to tie her own shoes since she was 4. She plays quite well on her own and actually seems to prefer to go her own way at home. For instance, when we come home from school she will announce "I need some ME time" and goes to her room and listens to music and plays for an hour or more. She showers on her own, takes care of her room and clothes and things. She will make her own snacks from the kid's shelf in the fridge. She is very helpful about working on meals with me or doing chores. I wish that her older brothers followed her example more - because they can be really lazy and have to be nagged all of the time.

Answer 6

My daughter is 7.  She is high energy, always has to be doing something.  She often tells me that she is "bored" or has "nothing to do" and wants me to tell her something cool to do.  But she wants to do elaborate things like plant a garden or build a sculpture out of paper towel rolls or build a house out of a cardboard box.  That gets annoying, she is not content with regular play.  But she has started the phase of wanting to go into her room and close the door and listen to music, she doesnt want me in there.  So she is getting more independent.  She can tie her shoes, take her own bath/shower, get her own food and drinks.

Answer 7

My son is 8 and for the most part he is pretty independant.  he has been tying his shoes since he was 4.  He is the type of kid that can entertain himself for hours with nothing but a rubberband.  He loves to help his dad when he is outside working on the car or doing "man" stuff and likes to run the vacumn for me, more so he can chase the cat with it but it is help.  About the only time he really wants our entire focus is when it comes to homework and he wants a lot of help there.