Do/Would you allow your 10 year old to use knives?

WantToBeSE

My 10 year old is cooking dinner tonight. He has only just started to cook. He loves cooking but struggles a lot academically at school.
I hope that by teaching him what i know about cooking, he'l have a career to fall back on should he need it.

My friend thinks i am crazy to let him use kitchen knives to cut onions and vegetables etc. I am not sure what to think.

Am i being irresponsible? Am i breaking some kind of well known parenting rule by allowing him to use knives?
I always supervise him and try to get him thinking about where the knife will slice and where his fingers need to be.

PasturesNew

I've only ever used a paring knife, which is what my mum always used. Mine cost me 65p from a cheap shop and is probably quite blunt, but I use it to cut all my veggies etc. So, are you getting him to use whoppers, or a little one? And is it sharp?

Knives don't need to be super sharp to work ....

WantToBeSE

They are sharp, almost brand new and did me a pretty serious injury a few weeks back.
But the one he is using isnt huge, about the length of a standard lemon (sorry, couldnt think of anything else to compare size with!).

annie_d

Absolutely. Sharp knives too so that he knows to be VERY VERY careful with them. With a blunt knife he will have to push harder and could, potentially cause more damage to himself.

Cornucopia

Would you allow your 10 year old to use knives?

Yes, for cooking, especially whilst supervised and being taught safe techniques.

No, for a Wild West style knife throwing act.

ISTR doing my first cooking using a table knife.

Sky_

My children were cooking whole meals by the time they were 12, as was I by that age. They first used (not very sharp) knives when they were 3-4 years old. We cooked most of our meals together throughout their childhood, and both were great cooks by the age of 18. We never had an injury and they both (uni students now) appreciate being able to cook.


So yes, I would let a 10 year old, under supervision, use a knife! How else is he to learn to provide meals for himself as an adult?!

Rosemary7391

He has to learn how to use them properly sometime! So long as he's tall enough to use them safely at the worktop and you're teaching him how to be careful I don't see a problem. If you're worried maybe get him cutting out cookie dough in fun shapes with a cutlery knife first ? For actual vegetables etc a sharp knife is safer - much less likely to slip off and less force needed so he can focus on where his fingers are.

F1F93

Yes, definitely let them use it!
Let them know how to use things like that safely under your instruction, and if anything happens then you are there to sort it out!

Hermia

I think there is nothing wrong with allowing a ten year old to use knives. I would hope a ten year old would be learning some basic cookery skills and it is hard to cook without ever chopping anything. Knife skills aren't hard to learn. I mean once you learn to keep the ends of your fingers curled under you massively reduce your chance of cutting yourself.

I hope he keeps up his interest in cooking. My cousin loves cooking and has just left home. He is managing to eat very well on a small budget.

WantToBeSE

Thanks everyone. My friend and my mum think i am totally insane for allowing him to.
That probably explains why i had to learn how to cook at the age of 20, by my then partner! Cheers mum!

Heffi1

I started my two off in the kitchen when they were toddlers, mixing eggs in a bowl, making pastry, mixing cake mixes etc. then moved onto preparing veg, how to use the best parts, what looked dodgy and to throw away, which part of the onion to cut first and how to slice thinly to get the most out of the ingredients. My son went on to train to be a chef, but decided not to work in the industry as it was too pressured and he likes to cook for fun.

I supervised from their first attempts, put plasters on the little cuts they got over the years, explaining how to hold the knife properly so it doesnt happen each time and slowly they both understood, that a very sharp knife is actually a lot safer than a blunt one, and you can be more precise with your knife skills. As I felt more confident, I started to step back and watch from a distance until I felt they were capable.

Accidents happen in a busy kitchen, I still cut myself from time to time, it is something that happens, as long as your son understands how careful he has to be, and how to mop up any spills, keep cuts covered etc. then you are teaching him a life skill that he will be grateful for in years to come.