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

emsywoo123

fluffnutter wrote: »

My two year old uses one of these. They're great aren't they? He loves 'doing cutting' (probably a sociopath in the making ).

They're fantastic - he really wants to be a "cooker" when he is older, apparently his sister can be the waitress, and I can be the customer. Works for me :rotfl:

jobbingmusician

Newly_retired wrote: »

I agree with all this.
My young grandson aged 6 is aware of the dangers of sharp knives, though not yet old enough to use them himself, but he loves to help clear up.
He said to his mum,"mummy , I want you to be careful when you wash up, cos I've just put a very sharp knife in the water and I don't want you to cut yourself on it,"!

When I was 19 I worked in a professional kitchen to work my way through college. So you can tell your GS that this tip comes from a professional washer-upper! When you are washing up in a commercial kitchen you NEVER let go of knives or glasses in the washing up water. They must either be washed, rinsed and left in full view, or washed and passed to someone else for rinsing (and drying). It's worth adopting this rule at home too: your GS is right - leaving either in murky WU water is a good route to disaster!

kerri_gt

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

One of my NCT friends taught her DD to make tea / use a kettle at the age of six. The rest of us thought that was a tad on the young side. But in my day we all learned to do it before we were 10, at Brownies!

I'm sure I was taught age 7 / 8 - mainly because I was a little tea pot myself and I think my mum got fed up with me asking her to make me cups, figured she could capitalise on it by having me make tea for all :rotfl:

atolaas wrote: »

I still have a teeny tiny semi circular scar on my left thumb from chopping glace cherries for my mum as a 7 year old. Completely my fault...I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing, too busy chatting and the inevitable happened!! A very visual demonstration of what sharp knife can do. I've never forgotten it...live and learn.

I have a lovely scar on my finger from last year - and a hedge trimmer :eek: Won't be doing that again (btw I'm not suggesting anyone let a 10yr old loose with one )

marlot wrote: »

Yes, we found that this was a major barrier to children taking up free school meals. Everything they'd been fed at home could be eaten with fingers (pizza,sandwiches etc).

Tell me about it, I dread to think what some of these kids will be like when they get to adulthood and taking their partners out to a nice restaurant.

I remember cooking in some form all the way through school, holding 'tea parties' at Brownies and prob when we were about 10 / 11 myself and my friends would 'host' dinner parties for our parents (come dine with me eat your heart out :rotfl:) there was some supervision from a distance but in the main, we did all the cooking (and washing up)

mgdavid

When I were a lad back in the 50s it was normal for most boys to have a pen-knife in their pocket from about age 8. Especially when we went off down to the river fishing.

Laz123

Just make sure the chopping board is stable, maybe on a tea towel etc.

Pollycat

fluffnutter wrote: »

My two year old uses one of these. They're great aren't they? He loves 'doing cutting' (probably a sociopath in the making ).

Or a surgeon.....;)

corf999

10 years old is too old. Children need to be taught how to handle knives by the time they want to make toast, or cut up fruit.

WantToBeSE

Laz123 wrote: »

Just make sure the chopping board is stable, maybe on a tea towel etc.

Thanks for the reminder, yes i do normally make sure i put a damp tea towel underneath.

For whoever mentioned that their child has dyspraxia- mine does too, and his coordination is awful. But so far he hasnt had any accidents with the knives, but i do want to point out that i supervise closely (in case anyone is worried).

indsty

Absolutely a 10 year old should be allowed to use sharp knives in the kitchen. Hopefully he has been taught from the age of 2 or 3 how to be careful with certain things, e.g. scissors, how to use table knives safely, and how to concentrate on what he is doing. If he hasn't been taught these things then he will need a lot of supervision until he has mastered the process.

raven83

WantToBeSE wrote: »

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!

Your friend sounds like a complete helicopter type parent, yes, kids at that age should use knives, my girls have have been since young and my 12 years old can cook meals all on her own, comes in handy too as I make her chop up all the potatoes