Wow, I don't know if the negativity is warranted here, but for me (and my kids walk to school), getting the kids ready involves making sure the young kids get properly dressed, breakfasted, lunch packed, etc... Transportation is not always the issue.

I didn't want to be negative, sorry. Kids generally are able to do all of what you saod when they're 9 years old. I've seen that American families often belittle their kids and are afraid to make them responsible.

Your mileage may vary. I grew up In New York City and was fine getting myself ready and taking an hour on public transport to school every day, but New York is an outlier amongst US cities. Even my friends who grew up in the suburbs just outside New York needed their parents to be chauffeurs and butlers for them.

Not just the US, UK is the same, when I was 9 (1989) I had to cross two busy roads to get to school and it was considered entirely normal to walk to school alone.

Now in 2019 at the same age (9) letting my step-son do the same would be considered by a lot of parents to be borderline child abuse.

I’m treating him the same way my parents treat me, if he wants to make his mum a cup of tea (novelty hasn’t worn off) I’ll let him (with supervision at a distance), I’m not coddling him at his age I had full access to my father and grandfather sheds/garages and tools - by comparison a kettle isn’t a big deal.

In New Zealand this is illegal while they’re under 14.

Whereas, when I grew up, pretty much from 7+ you were expected to be able to go visit your friends, get to school, etc. without all the ceremony and scheduling required today.

Yep, it's hard to avoid the "back in my day" feel but there is a qualitative difference in how we are raising current generations here, Daniel is vastly less self-sufficient than I was at the same age.