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What can your 9 year old cook?

128 replies

wegetthejobdone · 28/09/2020 16:33

I'm trying to encourage my 9 year old to cook meals rather than cake. He does like cooking and can use the oven and hob independently (although he can't use the grill as its too high up), and he can chop veg safely. Its helping his confidence to cook by himself which he really needs at the moment.

What do your 9 year olds or a little older cook for the family? I'm particularly looking for simple meat based meals as I'm vegetarian so aware my meat based cooking is pretty limited.

OP posts:
formerbabe · 28/09/2020 21:23

@anniversarywoes

This thread is soooo Mumsnet it hurts Grin My 2 year can effortlessly cater a dinner party for 8. 4 courses, including a selection of complicated desserts. Do I win?
Brilliant Grin

My dd can make cakes independently, toast in the toaster...she is pretty capable but I don't let her cook proper hot meals independently yet...I'd always supervise her with the hob, oven and kettle. I'm aware that makes me a terrible, uncool helicopter parent on here.

formerbabe · 28/09/2020 21:25

She loves layering a lasagne with me. You could pre cook the ragu, white sauce and they can layer it independently and grate the cheese for the topping.

rosybell · 28/09/2020 21:30

Mine makes his oats so simple in the microwave. That's about it!

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HeyMicky · 28/09/2020 21:42

DD(8) can prep and cook, with supervision but not much help:

  • Various tray bakes - salmon, sausages or chicken - with chopped up roasted veg
  • Omelettes
  • Bolognese
  • Middle Eastern spiced mince, potatoes and peas, with shop bought flat bread
  • Roasted tomato soup
  • Fried rice
  • Salmon or chicken with noodles and frozen veg
  • Chicken pasta with either tomato or pesto sauce
  • Lamb skewers
  • Sausage and mash
  • Chopped salad

Assembly meals - protein, carb, few veg - are the easiest. The DDs have protective mesh gloves for cutting which makes things a bit safer.

Both DDs (8 and 5) do a meal each every week. I do supervise but I'd be in the kitchen otherwise anyway. I let them loose on the cookbooks and then veto as necessary.

HeyMicky · 28/09/2020 21:50

It needn't be bullshit.

Traybake: tip sausages into tray. Peel and chop a sweet potato and some carrots, halve some new potatoes, tip in cherry tomatoes. Rub over oil and salt and pepper. Bake for 45 mins. Do peas in microwave. Adult removes tray from oven, child drains peas and dishes up.

tinkerbellvspredator · 28/09/2020 22:08

10 year old can do beans on toast, sandwiches, chops strawberries
5 year old is much more interested, does cereal and milk,helps add spices etc, some chopping, bread and butter, and is very proud this week to pour his own water from the filter jug without spilling Grin

Porridgeoat · 28/09/2020 22:11

Pancakes, beans on toast, Home made pizza (toppings) on his own, anybold main meal with help

Sarahlou252 · 28/09/2020 22:12

My dd makes Cookie dough cake, basically cookie dough pressed into the bottom of a casserole dish and baked, not made into cookies!
Jam sponge pudding.
And she makes her own pasta sauce from olive oil, garlic, tomato puree & herbs.
Thats about it though!

HelplessProcrastinator · 28/09/2020 22:32

Mine makes pizza, soda bread and decent sponge cake, pasta sauce with lots of different veg, toast and cups of tea. She does more than her bone idle 12 year old sister.

Lucindainthesky · 28/09/2020 22:39

All these 9yos doing all this cooking, are they doing it completely unsupervised?

Perhaps I'm overprotective but I don't let my 9yo use the oven by themselves or handle boiling water.

As such her independent repertoire extends to microwave porridge and sandwiches. She helps me with various prep though.

wegetthejobdone · 28/09/2020 22:40

Ah thanks, see I hadn't thought of tray bake chicken and sausage meals - I have been vegetarian since 14 so my cooking with meat is a bit odd as I have never cooked it for myself.

I think a hot sponge pudding might be good too - a more difficult twist as it would need to be ready at the right time.

Cooking involves so many skills, baking is relatively easy as all the ingredients and amounts are given for you but timing lots of elements of a meal to be ready at the right time is much more of a challenge even if the meal itself isn't that complicated.

I'd like to point out this is real.... he doesn't do the washing up!

OP posts:
formerbabe · 28/09/2020 22:42

@Lucindainthesky

Perhaps I'm overprotective but I don't let my 9yo use the oven by themselves or handle boiling water

Neither do I. My DD can prep stuff, so she's able to make a sponge cake batter for example independently but I'll put it in the oven. I'd rather not take any chances

minipie · 28/09/2020 22:56

The DDs have protective mesh gloves for cutting which makes things a bit safer.

Thanks for this idea! Didn’t know these existed, this will really help DD.

MrsTerryPratchett · 29/09/2020 02:15

@Lucindainthesky

All these 9yos doing all this cooking, are they doing it completely unsupervised?

Perhaps I'm overprotective but I don't let my 9yo use the oven by themselves or handle boiling water.

As such her independent repertoire extends to microwave porridge and sandwiches. She helps me with various prep though.

Not boiling water because it's heavy and unpredictable. But she makes scrambled eggs and toast (for example) by herself at 9. She doesn't use the oven solo.
CodenameVillanelle · 29/09/2020 03:25

Both DDs (8 and 5) do a meal each every week. I do supervise but I'd be in the kitchen otherwise anyway. I let them loose on the cookbooks and then veto as necessary

Your 5 year old cooks a meal every week???.

HerRoyalNotness · 29/09/2020 03:50

He can’t make anything at all. Well maybe heat up a waffle or cook some toast. I haven’t pushed it as at that age i was expected to cook family meals 3-4 times a week.
It sucked balls. My 13yo can cook eggs different ways, pancakes and biscuits. We’re going slowly.

LostInTheColonies · 29/09/2020 04:06

DD(10) is very keen on anything based on mince, and as a result of a school challenge to cook for a week managed:
Spaghetti
Lasagne (same mince)
Tacos (same mince plus spices plus beans)
Nachos (ditto)
Branched out with spaghetti carbonara
Roast dinner

Doesn't like browning mince, so that was delegated. None of this has been repeated as she is capable but a bit of a lazy slug!

Bakes all sorts of things. Perfectly fine following recipes.

Will not get her own breakfast though!

BessieSurtees · 29/09/2020 04:27

My 9 year old makes dinner for me coming home from work, but only after he has done all of his homework. He has to stand on a step stool to use the hob properly though. Hmm

HeyMicky · 29/09/2020 06:59

@CodenameVillanelle it's not as if I have my feet up in another room waiting to be presented with a three course meal (I wishSmile)

She chooses a meal to cook (within reason), we put it on the meal plan, check the ingredients and add anything to the shopping list.

She peels and cuts any vegetables required, gets the protein ready (usually just opening the pack, frankly, but she might put some marinade on, or cut it up into chunks, or thread meat into skewers).

She puts things into the oven, with heat gloves; I take things out. She can put frozen veg in water into the microwave; I take it out.

She cooks pasta or noodles or sauces on the stove top, supervised. If a sauce sticks, or the pan boils over, I help out. She uses the stick blender under supervision. She mashes vegetables. She uses the rice cooker for rice. She can open tins, under supervision.

None of those skills by themselves are that hard. Coordinating it needs help.

I have to cook anyway. This way I don't have to choose two meals a week, which is the most tedious part. They get 121 time and they eat more interesting things. They love doing it, and while it's a bit slower than doing it myself it still gets done. I work full time but I acknowledge I have the luxury of being able to carve out time for this 2 days a week - it wouldn't work if noone was in the door before half 6.

Mumsnet has endless posts from people bored by meal planning, and posts by people wanting really quick and nutritious meals that can be whipped up without much effort. I solve the former in my house by using the latter with my kids.

Oblomov20 · 29/09/2020 07:32

Blimey. My 12 year old Ds2 is poor compared to all these. I must get a shifty on with this.

CodenameVillanelle · 29/09/2020 07:34

That is genuinely very impressive parenting. Well done! My DS sadly isn't very interested in food and wouldn't engage with this at all.

Seriouslymole · 29/09/2020 07:40

My 11 year old can cook nothing - although managed a boiled egg and toast for home ec homework on Sunday.

My 9 year old is a cracking little baker. Made me the most stupendous chocolate fudge cake for my birthday last week. In theory therefore, she should be able to cook meals. So far, we've reached the heady heights of toast and super noodles. Sigh.

Oblomov20 · 29/09/2020 07:54

Laughing at 4 course dinner party, do I win? Post! Grin

All Ds2 can do is: Toast. Heating up a sausage roll in the microwave. I will make a start though. I promise sir.

funtimefrank · 29/09/2020 08:02

Dd1 is almost 11 and can do
Toast
Pasta
Scrambled eggs
Beans on toast
She'll sort out the veg for dinner (they have a lot of frozen veg though)
Spag Bol with supervision
Pizza from scratch but we do the dough in a kitchen aid with a dough hook so not tricky.
She'll make sandwiches, do her packed lunch and most importantly makes a lovely cup of tea.

Dd2 also almost 11 can get yoghurt from pot to a bowl.

GunsAndShips · 29/09/2020 08:24

It isn't very Mumsnet at all that DS can make a lasagne though taking the piss that a child can do something is, and obviously, he's supervised. We've just had lock down and DS was at home for 6 months solid. He would eat lasagne every day if I let him so he started helping when he wanted it as it's quite a faff when home schooling, working full time from the kitchen table and having a DH who is away a lot. Lasagne is also a straightforward meal, just time consuming. Make white sauce, make bolognese, layer with cheese and lasagne sheets.

Does it help that he's academically quite poor, struggles to write and the teacher suggested cooking/chopping to help improve his grip strength and motor skills?

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