When are they old enough to start working in the kitchen?

[Satori]

8 yr old dd likes to complain that mommy is lazy and doesn't like to cook to her little whims of 3 hot meals a day plus 3 snacks. (I hate cooking and hand washing the millions of dishes since we don't have a dishwasher) She HATES cold anything and hates left overs even more. I was about her age when I started cooking, cakes, pancakes, cookies, bread, ect. Nothing fancy but nothing I could get into major trouble with like boiling water or frying. I could read a basic recipe and follow the directions and everyone was happy. Do you think 8 is old enough to let her lose in the kitchen to make things like pancakes with basic safety instruction and how to read a recipe?

[nolansmummy]

I think so. I was doing those things when i was 8 or so.

[pibblestiltskin@ma]

MY 8 year old can cook simple things like eggs, pancakes, grilled cheese etc. I do help with measuring and mixing etc. Even my 5 year old can cook these items with supervision. I say giver her a shot - the upside is that kids tend to prefer something they have cooked!

[alicia622]

I was making simple things around that age but I'm pretty sure I had a fair amount of supervision. I was making cakes/cookies and simple family suppers by the 5th or 6th grade. DS at 3 is already eager to help me in the kitchen although at this point he is primarily dumping and stirring.

I think at 8 she will need to help you a few times before trying it on her own. But she should be able to do it!

[HomeBirthMommy]

Absolutely! My dd is 8 and can fend for herself in the kitchen. She does scrambled eggs, pancakes, toast, makes tuna salad, egg salad and similar things.
My younger girls (6 and 2) help out in the kitchen. I think they are learning a very important life skill.

[pranamama]

my 9yo dd can cook pretty well. Sometimes I will offer her a recipe and she refuses, like the time she made a blueberry pie, and asked what was in a pie crust, but didn't want to follow a recipe, but we ate all of it :

[Thalia the Muse]

I don't let my seven-year-old cook unsupervised, but she is perfectly capable of making her own sandwich or getting cheese and crackers. And if she wants something cooked for her, she often has to wait -- I certainly don't cook three meals and three snacks every day! If she wants a snack that requires too much prep by me, I say no and tell her what she CAN have.

I think an eight-year-old who demands hot, freshly cooked snacks is more than ready to learn to make them herself -- and to clean up afterward. That is not a reasonable expectation of you, to constantly cook to order for her. Plus, cooking is fun, and it's a crucial skill for her to take out into the world with her, so letting her cook is a winning solution for everybody.

[Alyantavid]

Definitely. My 6 year old can make several things in the kitchen with some supervision.

[SAHDS]

Originally Posted by Thalia the Muse

I don't let my seven-year-old cook unsupervised, but she is perfectly capable of making her own sandwich or getting cheese and crackers. And if she wants something cooked for her, she often has to wait

:

I recently let my DD have use of the toaster and microwave. But, I am nowhere near being comfortable enough to let her use the stove. She does help out a lot in the kitchen, though. Peeling potatoes, grating cheese, cleaning, it's all just supervised. I think it's a lot more fun that way anyway.

[Porcelain Interior]

I've always used the rule that their elbow needs to be at stove level to use the stove without supervision because that is the only way a child could safely remove a hot pot etc. They also need the strength to remove hot pans, etc.

I have allowed helpers in the kitchen from a very early age, and my 13 year old can do like soup, basic eggs, toaster and microwave stuff. She's not super adventurous about the kitchen though.

[columbusmomma]

Originally Posted by Alyantavid

Definitely. My 6 year old can make several things in the kitchen with some supervision.

Mine too.

[mistymama]

I think she's old enough, with a little supervision when she's using a sharp knife or the stove.

Ds has been helping me in the kitchen for as long as I can remember. He just turned 6 and each night he likes to chop our veggies himself. If I have the time he's also able to saute stuff on the stove, crack eggs and blend ingredients.

By the time he's 8, I hope he's able to cook some simple stuff himself. I to cook and do it often, but I also want ds to know how. I think that will be a great gift to his future partner.

[Satori]

Well I told dd she was going to start cooking simple stuff like toast and pancakes and the idea did not go over well. She doesn't think she should have to...

[Thalia the Muse]

But she does think you should have to? Goodness, life is cruel when you're eight.

[SeekingJoy]

DS (3) loves to help me cook. DD pretends on the floor. Cooking is a family activity in our family, and likely will continue to be. My brother and I could both make simple things (grilled sandwiches, eggs, pancakes) from about third/fourth grade on.

I don't have an 8-yr old yet, but I remember how my mom would have responded: "You are right. You don't have to. But, I don't have to either. Let me know if you change your mind and would like me help you. "

[BunnySlippers]

I think dd started to show a real intrest in cooking by age 2. So I let her help. By 3 she could confidently use the stove and oven. By 4 she was on her own.
She could think of a meal and put it together. Occasionaly she would (and still does at 6) ask what temperature the food should be on.
She needs to ask me before using the stove-or let me know she is using it, that way I can check to make sure it is off when she is done. To date she has only forgotten once.

I was making my own breakfast and lunch at 5yrs old.

8 is definately ready for most kids.

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

By 3 both of my children could make a sandwich. By 4 they could make toast and hot chocolate in the microwave. By 6 they could use a small sharp knive, though I like to be in the room while they do. By the time they could read, they could definitely follow the directions in a kid's cookbook. I still like to be close by while they use the stove and take things in and out of the oven, but 9 YO DS is capable of producing a simple family breakfast or dinner.

So yes, definitely old enough. And I would think that would be a sensible consequence for demanding that you cater to her food whims.

[mamalisa]

Absolutely. My 8 year old would get laughed at if he wanted hot meals and snacks all day I love him, but I don't run a diner. I just recently started letting my 3 year old help out. It's never too early to learn to do things for yourself, even if there isn't a need to do them just yet.