Mumsnet Talk

I would say most 10 year olds can do this, but perhaps they can't.

Mine can and does. He needs to learn to not massacre the butter though!

In the toaster. And then apply spreads...

my very sensible 8 year old can she just asks me to watch her getting it out of toaster

Depends upon the child, some are full of kitchen common sense, some stick the knife in the toaster whilst its on to get the bread out earlier and blow it up

But generally, I would say yes.

Yes.

Also can make cups of tea which he brings to me in bed in the morning. Got to make the most of them before they turn into stroppy teenagers!

My (not very sensible) 6.8 year old can. I supervise but he manages fine. Ds2 (15) has been making it for a long time and would have been able to do it at 10. Ds1 (17) would have been older (s/n).

My 8 year old can my 6 year old probably can but is not allowed alone just yet.

My 8 year old does, but on the other hand is not ready to use the kettle

Mine could at 10. Toaster or grill (standing on a stool to see)

and they could do baked beans to go on top. I think bacon sandwiches were on the 10 year old's menu here too

I wouldn't allow kettles till 12/13 actually.

<twitchy>

My 9yr old can. I have told her to never, ever poke something in to the toaster if the bread gets stuck as I have an old memory if doing that myself once!

Am surprised by how many people won't let their children. No kettle till 12/13?
The cubs , aged 8-10 require a home cooked meal ( beans on toast will do, apparently) , for their home-maker ( or some such title) badge. They have to prep it on their own.
Thus that suggests we are being a bit over-protective, don't you think?

Thank goodness for schools, Scouts etc - by 12 years they should be capable of cooking the dinner- using the oven etc.
I have made soup with a group of year 6 children and most of them had never chopped vegetables with a sharp knife, never mind stirred boiling liquid !

Of course a 10 year old should make toast and know that you must not poke I implements in a toaster. 10 is a bit late to start.

Cross posted Oblomov - glad you mentioned cubs.

When my DS was a patrol leader in the Scouts they used to have a cooking competition and each patrol did a whole meal- all taking part - including the 10 year olds. I know his menu included deep fried doughnuts ( the had drawn Turkey as their country for recipes)
I expect that at the same time some of the over protective parents still thought they were being adventurous making cup cakes with their 10 year old!
I have been in a class of 9/10 year old where a chef came in for a morning for half a term and had them doing all sorts of things. They are quite capable if allowed to be.
12/13 year olds are at secondary school- they cook- they use ovens, they use kettles It shouldn't be the teacher's job to do it for the first time.
When I was 8 yrs I used to make my parents a cup of tea sometimes when they were still in bed.

Yep to toast, grill and kettle.

10 year old ds loves to cook for us on a Saturday so can use the cooker sensibly too.
I'm constantly shocked at children who cant cook or clean . How will they cope when they leave home?

If my 15 yr old can supervise 5 others cooking a complicated foreign meal I would expect that a parent could cope with one 10 year old and a toaster!!!

10???

Of course they should be able to at 10

My just turned 11year old bakes by herself and can knock up a fair few meals made a lovely tuna pasta bake yesterday totally unsupervised

We took the brownies on pack holiday this year and they were chopping up veg, skinning chicken, peeling potatoes making brown owl cups of tea they love it

And they need to know these things otherwise when they go to uni they put pizzas still in the plastic wrap in the microwave for 20 minutes and end up setting the fire alarms off like some idiot did in my uni halls!

My 8 year old sorts out toast for her and her sister when we haven't got up on a Sunday. She would call if anything went wrong and knows not to poke knives in it.

I despair sometimes at what we are doing to our children- how is such cotton- wool protectiveness supposed to to be good for them?

My 7 year old can make his own toast, and is getting better at putting an appropriate amount of butter on it. He's not so great at pouring drinks without spilling, so we've avoided the kettle except under very close supervision thus far

Looking forward to the days when he can use the kettle alone and bring us breakfast in bed!