What Every 10-Year-Old Should Know How to Do

You look at your 10-year-old and wonder: are they on track? What should they be able to do by now? And what are you forgetting to teach them?

These questions keep parents up at night. Here’s a practical list—not to judge where you are, but to give you a map of where you’re going.

Around the house

By 10, most kids can handle:

• Make a simple breakfast (cereal, toast, eggs)
• Load and unload the dishwasher
• Do their own laundry with guidance
• Keep their room reasonably clean
• Follow a basic recipe with supervision

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s exposure and practice.

Taking care of themselves

Self-care basics they should be building:

• Shower independently and maintain hygiene
• Choose weather-appropriate clothing
• Pack their own bag for school or activities
• Set an alarm and wake up on their own
• Basic first aid for small cuts and scrapes

Social and emotional

These are harder to measure but just as important:

• Apologize and mean it
• Lose gracefully (most of the time)
• Ask for help when stuck
• Recognize and name their emotions
• Show empathy when someone is hurt

Problem-solving

The foundation for everything else:

• Figure out simple problems before asking for help
• Follow multi-step instructions
• Manage their own time for homework
• Make a plan and adjust when it doesn’t work

Money basics

Start small:

• Understand that things cost money
• Save for something they want
• Make a purchase and count change
• Know the difference between needs and wants

What this list is really about

This isn’t about raising a mini-adult. It’s about building confidence through capability.

Every skill checked off is proof to your child that they can handle things. That proof compounds. A kid who can make breakfast believes they can learn to cook. A kid who can manage their time believes they can handle responsibility.

The skills matter less than what they represent: “I am capable.”

Start where you are

If your 10-year-old can’t do half of these things, that’s fine. Most kids can’t. The point isn’t to catch up overnight—it’s to pick one thing and start there.

Progress, not perfection.

Looking for the younger or older version? See what a 5-year-old should be learning, or what your 15-year-old should handle on their own. For the full picture, here are 50 things to teach before they leave home.