Expecting that a 7 year old could make a simple meal?

[bigbarnfarmer]

I would like my kids to start taking more responsibility, they totally take for granted all i do, like most their age i imagine. However given they are getting older i want to help them become more responsible and more independant.

My 7 year old enjoys food, like sto help in the kitchen and has been making cups of tea for a while now. I was thinking tomorrow i might let him prepare a simple meal, with minimal supervision.

AIBU? and does anyone who thinks its fair enough have any simple meal suggestions.

Um I do think that is very young to make a meal by himself! I made tea from around 9 I think and my first meal from a recipe book around 10/11.

I was making my Mum coffee when I was 8 or 9, and spilt boiling water all down my chest, even know it goes red and can get sore if I have a hot bath :( I would not let my 7 1/2 year old make hot drinks or cook a 'meal' yet. He makes squash, and is allowed to put crumpets in the toaster, provided he gete me if they get stuck. Other than that he helps me chop/peel/stir but I am always stood v. near him.

Sorry but all my boys could, under supervision, make a spag bol at 7 (obviously you dont let them handle pans of boiling water or play with the gas hob).

By that I mean, they could grate veg, dice mushrooms, brown mince, add herbs etc....stir it, open a can of tinned tomatoes etc.

I cant however say they have progressed to much more than that other than endless bacon sandwiches.

Probably best you dont enrol your children in Scouting then Sirzy, its very commonplace.

What makes you think they dont find cooking for large numbers of people fun? You would be suprised.

They can help and learn of course, DS helps me now and he is 3, but not cook a meal on their own.

7 too young to make a cup of tea? I'm sure I did my 'hostess' badge at brownies about that age and learnt about using kettle safely etc. It certainly depends on the child, but I'm sure lots of 7 year olds would be capable and responsible enough to follow safety instructions.

My 6 and 8 year olds are capable of making cups of tea, warming up milk in the microwave and doing sandwiches, toast, porridge etc. They like helping me cook but mainly they just help out with adding things in and stirring them up on the stove at the moment.

My ds is an immature just 7 yo. He can set and clear the table, he can make tea ( but does not use a kettle) and has recently learnt to Hoover the stairs with safety advice re where to put Hoover etc. I
Would not let him cook with hot food or use a knife sharper than a dinner knife. No way. How about getting them to pack their school lunch? All cold, I assume?

they totally take for granted all i do

Are you for real? They are a seven year old child and you want them to cook the fucking tea?

Will that before or after you send the poor little sod up the chimney?

7 year olds are sent out to work in developing countries. I'm sure ours can manage a cup of tea and some beans on toast.

My 10 year old makes his own breakfast, as I trust him to use a toaster. I wouldn't let him use the oven though. And he usually just helps himself to cereal anyway as he prefers it. A seven year old making a meal I wouldn't be comfortable with. Any age can help with cooking, but not do it on their own.

If that is commonplace I won't be!

Having fun in the kitchen with parents and learning skills that way is one thing. Being expected to cook meals at 7 is wrong and unfair on the children IMO, some things are the jobs of parents/guardians and at 7 preparing meals should be done by the adult.

There's a lot of things that I expect my dd could do under supervision, but she doesn't have the common sense to not attempt to do them when I'm not in the kitchen to supervise her and would quite probably badly burn herself.

I got my hostess badge in the brownies at age 7 and I remember being very proud of myself for being able to make my mum a cup of tea.

I hope my DCs are independent spirited enough to be able to/want to do this at that age. Making a meal? A cold one perhaps, but I think 7 is a bit young to be using a cooker. I'd be afraid DS (currently 5) would get full of bravado and try using the cooker without my supervision.

The level of bubble wrapping, micro managing, helicopeter parenting always amazes me in this country. No wonder there is a completely inept generation heading out into the real world.

Brownies Cook badge and Advanced Cook Brownies start at 7 and several of my pack got their Cook before they were 8. They do need to be sensible girls and closely supervised with anything hot. I would never expect them to cook with heat unsupervised.

Of course a 7 year old is capable of helping in the kitchen, but I certainly would not let mine 'cook'.

Fabbychic Obviously all my children were unplanned disasters and i sit on my fat arse all day watching Jeremy Kyle while they all fend for themselves and make me cups of tea. Thanks for your helpful suggestions and for making me laugh so hard i almost wet myself.

To all the responses regarding scolding. My 7 year old is taller and more sensible than his peers, he knows not to over fill the kettle etc and to be careful. He is supervised when making tea. He asks to do it as he enjoys it.

AS for the meal, when i say minimal supervision i mean i will be in the kitchen but he will get great satisfaction from feeling he has done this independantly. I think he is capable of making perhaps a cheese sauce and adding to pasta to do macaroni cheese. I will help with things like draining pasta etc as obviously i don't want him to scold himself. That is if i can get my fat arse of the couch fabbychic

Ive just started teachng my 8 year old to cook.
We started with pealing spuds/carrots etc and popping them in boiling water.
He kneels up at the side of the cooker and stirs.
Tonight he made bacon butties for his 2 pals that came to play. ( I was supervising)

He can make corned beefhash, mash potatoes, gravy amongst stuff.

He showed an interest and so i snatched his hands off and allowed him to lead this.

I believe in preparing kids to be self sufficient and to be part of a team at home.

I do have high expectations of my child though.

bigbarn...my boy absolutely BEAMS when we sit down to the meal that he has contributed to, he is SO proud of himslef...its fab

I wouldn't do it wait a while.

When I was 6, I woke up one morning and decided I would bring my mum a cup of tea in bed as a treat. I boiled the kettle, lifted it and dropped it.

Poor mum did not get a treat unless you count a screaming six year old and a trip to A&E that is.

I do let DD help in the kitchen but never with the hot stuff

Whether she can do it on her own or not depends on how much time you've spent with her in the kitchen already; her helping you, you showing and demonstrating, and explaining to her the various hazards and problems.

Many children prefer baking (and the results) and there are fewer serious hazards to baking than to preparing a hot meal. So maybe start with that.

oflip lots of us have high expectations for our children. I just don't want mine to be scalded in the kitchen, he's a child and I expect him to behave like a child.

I think my issue would be the height of the child. It isnt safe for them to be using knives, or kettles when they are so much lower than the work surface.

By all means let them help with simple prep, but I think moaning a 7 year takes you for granted is a bit ridiculous. they are 7 for heavens sakes, of course they take it for granted that their parent will actually care and provide for them!!!

Trois. I dont believe not letting a child cook at 7 is bubble wrapping them, I would call it sensible for most 7 year olds.

That doesn't mean they can't help in the kitchen and learn to enjoy to cook, I would suggest though that making a 7 year old cook is going to have the opposite effect.

DS is only 2 and already loves baking and is looking forward to helping make nanas birthday cake soon, he loves watching me cook and I am sure as he gets older he will want to do little bits to help but he certainly wont be made to cook when he is 7!