How old to make a cup of tea?

[k4th]

My friend posted on FB the other day that her 13 year old had made her & hubby a cup of tea each in bed. She had also made her 7 year old sister scrambled egg on toast. This sounds awesome!!!

My ds is 5 - I'm nowhere near allowing her to touch the kettle yet & we're probably years off letting her do any of it without supervision. But... At what age can children start to be trusted with learning these skills?

 

[LoraLoo]

I think it depends on the child. My 12 yr old Son can make a cup of coffee or something basic like scrambled egg, or a bacon sandwich (using the halo- id not trust him to use the cooker unsupervised) and he knows he's to ask first, but likes to do it on his own. My 16 yr old on the other hand is clueless and her limit is making herself a slice of toast!
I think for me I wouldn't really let them do any of it unsupervised under 12 X

 

[k4th]

I think it depends on the child. My 12 yr old Son can make a cup of coffee or something basic like scrambled egg, or a bacon sandwich (using the halo- id not trust him to use the cooker unsupervised) and he knows he's to ask first, but likes to do it on his own. My 16 yr old on the other hand is clueless and her limit is making herself a slice of toast!
I think for me I wouldn't really let them do any of it unsupervised under 12 X

I suspect I was a lot like your 16 year old in my day!!! 😆

Thanks 😊

 

[lau86]

I was making coffee and cereal at about 8 (at my dads as he just let us do what we wanted!). Don't think I made hot food though

 

[SarahBear]

I remember making hard boiled eggs for my lunch in 4th grade. I would have been about 9 at that time. I don't know when I started making them. Possibly 8 or 9. They can START learning the skills before 3 though. Violet used to want to help with cooking but it was too much work, so I didn't keep up with having her help.

 

[lindseymw]

Joshua helps with cooking, Jacob not so much.

I would let Joshua cook something now (simple things like fried egg) but I would stand in the kitchen with him.

I would say completely unsupervised, maybe 11yr+ (depending on what they are like). I was cooking meals at 12 years old (simple ones using jar sauces)

 

[Natsku]

Not sure. I let Maria cook while supervised (the other week she made fried fish for dinner that was delicious!) but I don't think I'll be letting her do it unsupervised until around 10 or so, depending on how sensible she is with cooking.

 

[HelenJane]

I watched a childs version of Bake Off once on CBBC and the kids on there were 9 +.
I was amazed, they were like mini adults cooking all this complicated stuff. I think they had been helping in the kitchen from an early age though.

 

[tcinks]

My mom had me in the kitchen watching/helping her cook since I was pretty young, and I probably started cooking some things on my own around 10.

 

[Rags]

My Ds is 6 and makes scrambled egg unsupervised. He's been helping me make it and pancakes for a couple of years and during the summer holidays asked to be allowed to make them alone. I went up to get dressed and by the time I came back down the pan was in the sink soaking and he was sitting enjoying his breakfast - with toast (from the toaster which he gets out using wooden tongs). He's now experimenting a bit, adding cheese, changing the temperature to cook it faster or slower depending on how firm he wants it or if he wants to caramelise it. We have an electric cooker and he understands the importance of being sensible and careful.
I wouldn't let him touch a kettle of boiling water yet, or for that matter poach an egg as it involves boiling water as both are too easy to spill. I would expect him to be doing this though by the time he is 13 (if not before) as I think it's more to do with being a good height to reach without stretching and having the strength to lift and control the pour. My plan is to keep encouraging him with his enjoyment of cooking and provide the information and means for him to do it safely.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

My12 yr old makes: beans on toast, scrambled egg etc but can not be trusted with a kettle.

My 10yr old girl can make tea, hot chocolate etc and can cook basic meals and reheat.

 

[Loozle]

My 11 year old has recently started making tea. He can make toast, cereal or cold sandwiches but he hasn't made hot food yet.

 

[minties]

Is probably let Sophie make a cup of coffee (for me, not herself!) about age 10. Thomas I don't know about...so far he's much less sensible and I can imagine he'd burn himself.

 

[RaspberryK]

I was making tea and coffee and my brothers bottles at 7 and cooking full meals unsupervised from 8/9, cold stuff at 7.
I can't imagine wanting to let my ds 5 make tea in 2 years unsupervised. He doesn't seem coordinated enough.
I also want to allow him to be a child and not have to do that like I did.
I've been letting him help in the kitchen with chores and cooking/baking for a couple of years.
X

 

[jd83]

I was making tea and coffee and my brothers bottles at 7 and cooking full meals unsupervised from 8/9, cold stuff at 7.
I can't imagine wanting to let my ds 5 make tea in 2 years unsupervised. He doesn't seem coordinated enough.
I also want to allow him to be a child and not have to do that like I did.
I've been letting him help in the kitchen with chores and cooking/baking for a couple of years.
X

I had to do most of the family cooking when I was a kid, too, and feel the same way about not wanting my kids to "have" to do it. It's tricky. I want them to learn, and to know how to cook, clean, do laundry, etc so they can function on their own as adults. But I don't want them to do it so often that it feels like their own personal daily chore that won't get done if they don't do it. I resented having so much responsibility, and I don't want them to feel that way.

I learned pretty young, but I was a very sensible kid. I think that's an important consideration. I think my older son will be ready to learn a few basics within the next few years, since he's pretty level headed and sensible. DS2, however....I can't imagine yet at what point I'll be teaching him any cooking skills. He's only 4, so we have a while. But if his personality stays pretty much the same as now, it's going to be longer with him before I'm comfortable introducing cooking.