What sorts of freedoms / privileges would a 9 year old have, especially a responsible one? I am thinking of the kinds of freedoms a child gains after proving himself responsible. Thanks

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Scott Roberts
Ruling Elder, Lakeside Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Southlake, Texas

Scott;

I don't know, when my kids were that age they wanted to go to the skating rink with a group of friends, so I'd let them go for 2 hours, like from 6 to 8 on a Thursday Night (they had various church groups that went that night). Or on a Saturday for a couple hours during the day.

They were able to stay the night with friends or have friends stay the night here on a Friday or Saturday Night. (there friends went to church, so they went w/ them or their friends went with us).

What type of freedoms are you or considering?

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Bobbi Clark
Covenant Member
Pinewood Pres. (PCA) Middleburg

When I kept Silent, My bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Psalm 32:3

I was thinking of the sorts of freedoms you grant a child as he grows, especially things around the house. You let a 9 year old do more than a 5 year. What sorts of things are appropriate for a 9 year old?

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Scott Roberts
Ruling Elder, Lakeside Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Southlake, Texas

Scott;

freedoms or chores? Two different things..

Chores/responsibilities around the house for a 9 year old, could be cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming, helping wash dishes. My kids have been doing all of those things for quite some time..

When they hit 6th/7th grade they started doing their own laundry, but I was teaching them to separate them before then.

freedom would be if they went to bed at say 8:00 before they could stay up till 8:30, or say 30 minutes extra playing a video game or time spent on the computer, or finishing a chapter of a good book.

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Bobbi Clark
Covenant Member
Pinewood Pres. (PCA) Middleburg

When I kept Silent, My bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Psalm 32:3

Do you mean what they should be able to do in their free time around the house? Part of it would depend on what they were permitted to do before -- generally it works best to let a child's freedoms expand in increments -- as he show's he is responsible, give him some more latitude.

When it comes to movies, videos, TV (a mute point for us since we get 1.5 stations without cable) I have a friend who lets her kids start each week with a set amount of "tube time" that they could earn more of, or lose, depending on their contributions or behavior. I wish I had the system with my older kids and will use a variation on it when my little guys are older.

Computers are a separate issue -- even into their mid teens, they should be supervised on the computer, and even then, be a little less nosy only with a child who is showing great responsibility and maturity. Even then, they should be accounting for how they are using their time.

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JWithnell
Member Bethel OPC
Virginia