What afe should you be to cook on a barbecue

mumofjusttwo

Hi

I am after a little advice.

What age do you think you should be to light a barbecue or cook the food?

Having a discussion and wondered what othere people think

Thanks for taking the time to read it.

heartbreak_star

16 at the very minimum with supervision.

HBS x

lika_86

Whatever age is old enough to appreciate and manage the dangers of fire and understand food safety stuff such as checking food is properly cooked through.

mumofjusttwo

Thanks. That is what i thought too but wanted to see if i was because an over cautious mother!

Gloomendoom

lika_86 wrote: »

Whatever age is old enough to appreciate and manage the dangers of fire and understand food safety stuff such as checking food is properly cooked through.

Those were my thoughts. It depends on the individual.

WestonDave

I was lighting wood fires and cooking (not quite the same as a barbecue but near enough) on them from around 11 upwards in the Scouts with supervision albeit often on the other side of the campsite. My 8 year old has cooked on an open fire and lit one under supervision - neither of which concern me as I know what his particular attitude to fire is (i.e. he's not likely to mess about with it as he has a healthy respect for the danger involved!).

I'd personally rather my kids learned gradually about fire and food safety (cooking it properly is as important as the fire aspects!) gradually through being supervised to get experience than lobbing a pack of matches, a bag of charcoal and a box of burgers at a 16 year old and expecting them to get it right first time.

LEJC

athough a lot comes down to how much experience someone has with bbq's/open fires...etc#

My son is 15 and has regularly cooked outside with cubs and scouts whilst on camps so in my opinion its about experience rather than age.

Mojisola

mumofjusttwo wrote: »

Thanks. That is what i thought too but wanted to see if i was because an over cautious mother!

Cooking meals on the barbeque was one of the highlights of our camping holidays for our son. He was "in charge" of the BBQ from about 8 (with unobtrusive supervision and we would check that food was cooked). From about 10, it was his domain.

He was always interested in fire and flame so we taught him safe ways of experimenting from a very young age. I reckoned he was less likely to mess about with matches in his bedroom if he knew he could get his fire kit out downstairs whenever he wanted to as long as the rules were followed.

lostinrates

heartbreak_star wrote: »

16 at the very minimum with supervision.

HBS x

The very minimum?

OP I come from a family who have a particular relationship with fire because of a very serious incident involving a child. My parents took very difficult decision to not over protect but rather teach how to be safe as possible around fire from an early age.

I'd say the safest way to learn to BBQ and manage fires is in a controlled way from early on.

rozmister

heartbreak_star wrote: »

16 at the very minimum with supervision.

HBS x

At 16 I'd left home and did everything for myself including BBQs without any supervision. I never had any accidents and now I'm a perfectly competent adult in their 20s. I don't do the BBQing anymore though as I let the boys do it so I can sit back and relax!!

16 year old kids are capable of doing almost everything for themselves, mainly unsupervised, as long as you have begun to prepare them for independence at an early age. At university I was astounded by the amount of people I met that had a complete lack of common sense and basic life skills, these people were the idiots who poured petrol on BBQs, didn't let the flames die down before they put the meat on and burnt themselves through their own stupidity.

I agree with the posters on here who are saying you know your own child and their awareness of danger so judge it by that. But a sensible kid whose had common sense and independence installed in them from an early age would probably be capable at 10 or 11 with supervision from an adult.

mumofjusttwo

I think maybe my issue is that the person that iwould be supervising my don does not have much respect for fires. (family think nothing of using petrol on a barbecue)

I think the answer maybe for me to surpervise him while he uses a barbecue so he is fully aware of the danger. Although i also want him to not fear it and enjoy cooking.