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Original poster

How old were your children when they started to get their own breakfast?

121 replies

Soubriquet · 03/05/2019 11:19

Not a TAAT but more inspired by

I saw lots of posts saying that at 12, the parents should still be doing the breakfast Hmm

My 6 year old happily gets her own cereal, adds milk, eats it and even puts the bowl in the sink.

She will do it for her 4 year old brother too.

She’s been doing this since she was 5. She’s famously independent and loves being able to do things herself

If my 6 year old can do it, why can’t a child with no SEN do it at 12? Confused

OP posts:
IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom · 03/05/2019 12:46

From about 5 if they can reach. I

AlaskanOilBaron · 03/05/2019 12:46

Mine are 13 and 16, I make their breakfast every day. Usually eggs. They're in a rush to get ready for school.

IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom · 03/05/2019 12:49

6/7 for the toaster depending on how reasonable you believe them to be and if they can be trusted to not stick a fork in it or something.

CallMeRachel · 03/05/2019 12:51

Who honestly cares? Biscuit

We're all different and do things how we feel is best for our own families.

Personally I don't see the difference between breakfast and any other meal of the day.

I'm sure your 5 and 6 year old will have fond memories of the loving care you gave them in the morning before school. Hmm

IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom · 03/05/2019 12:55

I'm sure your 5 and 6 year old will have fond memories of the loving care you gave them in the morning before school. Hmm

Who honestly cares?

Sounds like you do actually.

Making breakfast isnt really the best way to show a six year old you love them. A hug is. A cuddle. They just see it as a service you provide. Like washing their clothes.

A child who learns to work now wont have his mother begging for advice in 10 years time when he's useless and won't help.

His wife won't be here in 20 years time when he won't take care of the kids.

reluctantbrit · 03/05/2019 12:57

On school days I set the table as we do breakfast together. On weekends it depends. If she is up with us then everyone does it, if she decides to sleep in and DH and I are hungry she has to fend for herself.

In the holidays she normally eats on her own or I sit down with another cup of tea to keep her company.

I think she was around 8-9 as we re-did the kitchen and she could access bowels etc easier.

Just because someone can do it doens't mean they have to do everything all the time. I get breakfast made, cups of tea and other meals by DH as well.

PoesyCherish · 03/05/2019 13:01

7 year old DSD makes her own breakfast (cereal and milk) and will put her bowl on the worktop next to the sink. She's been doing this since she was 6. We will sometimes make it for her but most of the time she'll do it herself. She's always been quite independent in certain respects though. We still have a chat with her at breakfast so it's not like she's totally on her own.

Toooldtocareanymore · 03/05/2019 13:04

My dd from young age would have rather not eaten any breakfast at all, ( huge appetite otherwise) after years of struggling, when she started secondary school I gave up fight and accepted my job was to make it easier for her, to this day she just hates eating first thing in mornings, only chance of getting something into her was to have something sitting there ready like juice and toast, I leant the less food smells and interaction she had with food more likely she'd have a few mouthfuls, so far as she's concerned the answer is never..she is the same at weekends, if someone else cooks she will eat if not too early, so from young age she's always left house with something that she could take in her hand, or an extra snack, in hope she could stomach it on the bus or walk up road to school. My ds has been getting his breakfast since he was maybe 6/7 but he's disorganised and scatty so we do get him to put stuff out night before, if he wants anything other than wheetabix, or my dh will pop porridge in microwave. Now at 12 he will also now cook himself treat breakfasts at weekend like pancakes.

Propertywoes · 03/05/2019 13:12

If your child doesn't know how to get themselves a bowl of cereal or some toast by the age of 10 you really should look at yourself as a parent and wonder what sort of young adult you want to raise.

Pinkprincess1978 · 03/05/2019 13:46

My 11 year old has really started getting into cooking and made him and his sister pasta and sauce recently completely in supervised - the 'sauce' was just a cooked tin of tomatoes so probably tasted vile, he clearly has missed the part where we add flavour to our food 😂

In terms of breakfast they have been poring cereal since about 6 I would guess and been making toast for at least 3 years (they are 10/11).

anothernotherone · 03/05/2019 13:51

I'm always a bit curious about why people lay their kitchens out in a way that means their children can't reach things they need. Its making some members of the household guests in their own home.

As soon as dc1 was mobile I put plastic bowls, plates and cups in a low cupboard, first so she could play with them and naturally that evolved to her getting things out to actually use. I then automatically put things like cereal where she could reach, milk and fruit juice on the lowest shelves in the fridge etc. at some point - some point being toddler age.

I remember when DC2 had a bug and DD wanted lunch - she was about 3.5 and he was about 18 months. He was crying and crying, which eas completely out of character, and I said sorry, she'd have to wait as he was poorly. She told me not to worry and bustled off, and came back a while later with plastic plates of toast bread awkwardly smeared with a lot of jam for each of us. It was the sweetest thing ever...

We've always had a solid wooden step stool in the kitchen enabling the kids to get to the sink to get water.

TowerRingInferno · 03/05/2019 14:07

When they started secondary? 13 yo has been doing so for ages. 11 yo doesn’t but is perfectly capable of doing so and is lazy!

Natsku · 03/05/2019 14:24

8 year old DD has been able to make her own breakfast (toast) since she was 5 (I had a weird illness for a few days that made me sleep pretty much all the time so while OH was at work she had to look after herself including feeding herself and since then I've let her make her own toast but I buy pre-sliced cheese as she struggles with the cheese slicer) but I make it for her if she asks me to which she does about half the time.

Stravapalava · 03/05/2019 14:31

My DD1 is able to get her own and her sister's breakfast, she first started doing it off her own back about 5/6 but now she's got lazy and doesn't want to any more! She's perfectly capable of cereal and toast or fruit & yoghurt at 8, wouldn't trust her with pancakes or porridge though.

Catsandbootsandbootsandcats · 03/05/2019 14:34

About 7 I guess. They're teens now so I can't remember. That's not to say they did it everyday at that age, but I knew if I wanted a lie in at the weekends I could leave them to feed themselves without disturbing me.

Half the time now they don't even bother with breakfast, but then I didn't at that age (I liked sleeping too much to get up early enough for breakfast!)

ShirleyAvenue · 03/05/2019 14:43

I love the idea of a "famously independent" child.... Just how famous is she?

I take my 17 yr old breakfast in bed every week day morning. I enjoy looking after him.
He is appreciative and helps me out in different ways. I'm a widow and he helps with all sorts of jobs requiring strength, height or a second pair of hands. Decorating, clearing out the loft, shopping for groceries, looking after his brother ....
I get everything ready for DS (11). Speed is of the essence in the morning. If he fannies around, he'll miss the bus and it's a 90 minute walk.
MN seems to compete over how little you should do for your kids as young as possible. I quite like caring for my kids. It doesn't seem to have made them lazy or ungrateful.

notacooldad · 03/05/2019 14:48

MN seems to compete over how little you should do for your kids as young as possible. I quite like caring for my kids. It doesn't seem to have made them lazy or ungrateful.
Agreed!
I made Ds his lunch for work today. He popped home with some shopping for me because I was running a bit short and didnt want any money
Its swings and roundabouts in our house ( e even though Ds hardly lives with us.)

MatchSetPoint · 03/05/2019 14:56

How tall are your five year olds? My five year old couldn't reach anything to make his own breakfast, I think at 12 he will be able to make himself something to eat.

Teddybear45 · 03/05/2019 15:04

How is encouraging a child to be able to make their breakfast lack of caring? If anything doing everything for them into their teens is the lack of caring - encouraging independance is a key part of parenting.

hazeyjane · 03/05/2019 15:06

My dds started making their own breakfast around 10, but I still make it for them at weekends or they help me make pancakes or bacon sandwiches. Ds (8) can do a jam sandwich, but struggles with anything else (he has additional needs)...The sandwich would also have an entire pack of butter and half a jar of jam.

RomanyQueen1 · 03/05/2019 15:06

mine were about 4, before they started school anyway.
cereal and bowls in a floor cupboard and milk in a jug in the fridge.
They could manage to reach the drawer for the cutlery, with all sharp knives elsewhere, no worries.

BadTigerKitty · 03/05/2019 15:16

My 10 and 7 years olds gave started making pancakes for the whole family at the weekend.
They like crepes, I like American pancakes, so if they want crepes they make them themselves. They love it. And I'll happily eat crepes made for me!

5 year old, on the other hand, won't even get herself a bowl of cereal. She believes in being waited on.

I moved all bowls, plates and cereals to lower cupboards so they're accessible to the kids.

IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom · 03/05/2019 15:44

ake my 17 yr old breakfast in bed every week day morning. I enjoy looking after him.e is appreciative and helps me out in different ways. I'm a widow and he helps with all sorts of jobs requiring strength, height or a second pair of hands. Decorating, clearing out the loft, shopping for groceries, looking after his brother

So he helps with the occasional job that doesn't actually require doing regulary and jn exchange youve trained him that women bring him breakfast in bed. He is 17 he should be doing thise thibgs anyway.

Excellent. He'll make a smashing husband one day.

I think some people try and compete in creating the most useless humans they can.

IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom · 03/05/2019 15:46

Badtiget how comfortable is the 7 year old at the stove?

I'd like to get my 8 year old cooking, and they are very tall... but still feels unsafe height wise.

CountFosco · 03/05/2019 15:47

DS is 6 and he needs help with some bits (I cut him a slice of bread today but he spread the peanut butter himself) but the DDs are 9 and 11 and happily make themselves a fry up if they fancy one. We are a very foodie family though so they also help take over making dinner regularly as well and bake a cake at the weekend if they fancy it. We're finally reaping the rewards for the hideous toddler baking days!

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