Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To let my dc get themselves cereal

109 replies

cadburyegg · 03/03/2023 21:55

My dc are 8 and 5 and I told a friend our morning routine - they get dressed for school before going downstairs, I help the 5 year old a bit with his jumper and brush his teeth, then they help themselves to cereal whilst I get dressed. - 10 mins max. They don't use the toaster, or anything like that.

But my friend said that I was being irresponsible, and that they still need supervision, and me being upstairs isn't good enough. He said that my 8 year old isn't mature enough yet.

What do you think? AIBU? How old were your kids?

OP posts:
LittlePinkPill · 03/03/2023 21:57

Getting cereal is fine. It’s not like they are grilling bacon! Your friend is BU.

pointythings · 03/03/2023 21:57

My two could absolutely have managed that alone for 10 minutes, your friend is being precious.

TheSandgroper · 03/03/2023 21:59

Almost the best day of my late DM’s life, apparently, was the day I did my own cereal breakfast. I was 3. By the next year, I was doing my brother’s as well. You are doing just fine.

ChannelyourinnerElsa · 03/03/2023 22:00

Hmm, you’re not the poster who was pissed off with their husband, are you?

Bobbybobbins · 03/03/2023 22:00

Yanbu

MillicentMold · 03/03/2023 22:01

8 and 5 year olds are perfectly capable of pouring cereal and milk into a bowl.

anon37484291918 · 03/03/2023 22:01

Your friend is being ridiculous.

Ds was making himself a cup of tea and a slice of toast when he was 8.

Hellocatshome · 03/03/2023 22:01

What could possibly go wrong with them getting their own cereal? The worst that can happen is they spill something.

Original poster
cadburyegg · 03/03/2023 22:02

ChannelyourinnerElsa · 03/03/2023 22:00

Hmm, you’re not the poster who was pissed off with their husband, are you?

No I don't have a husband!

OP posts:
Original poster
cadburyegg · 03/03/2023 22:03

Hellocatshome · 03/03/2023 22:01

What could possibly go wrong with them getting their own cereal? The worst that can happen is they spill something.

In case they try to use the toaster (which they know not to) and they could burn the house down apparently

OP posts:
FightingFatAt49 · 03/03/2023 22:03

Your friend is weird! Of course an 8 year old can get their own cereal and can be alone for 10 minutes, even the 5 year old is fine.

PuttingDownRoots · 03/03/2023 22:04

The worst that could happen is spilt milk and cereal. We used to keep some milk in a smaller bottle so it was easier for them to control

I think mine were 4&6 when they started getting their own breakfast on a Saturday morning!

LetThemEatTurnips · 03/03/2023 22:05

It is fine to get the cereal themselves, but surely they should do their teeth after breakfast?

PuttingDownRoots · 03/03/2023 22:06

Burn the house down with a toaster? As long as they know not to stick anything in it they will be fine...

WeCome1 · 03/03/2023 22:06

LetThemEatTurnips · 03/03/2023 22:05

It is fine to get the cereal themselves, but surely they should do their teeth after breakfast?

Latest advice is that either is fine, before or after breakfast.

Offensiveapprently · 03/03/2023 22:07

My kid is 6, gets himself up......I'm not doing 5.30 am.
Watches TV for an hour and eats fruit. He is pretty good really.

Blingstar · 03/03/2023 22:07

Self responsibility! A fantastic life lesson I think.

WHAM01 · 03/03/2023 22:10

No, it's fine. At 8, I used to make toast in an old fashioned gas grill (the kind over the cooker) for myself, my brother and sister on a Saturday morning. I only once set fire to the toast 🙂

00100001 · 03/03/2023 22:14

LetThemEatTurnips · 03/03/2023 22:05

It is fine to get the cereal themselves, but surely they should do their teeth after breakfast?

Ah, but then you have to wait 30 minutes after eating.

We always brush before breakfast, it's down to preference

whatthebejesus · 03/03/2023 22:15

Lol your friend is ridiculous. My 5 year old has been getting his own breakfast for about a year. He's more than capable of pouring the milk into his bowl of cereal. He can even get his own drink because he knows how to turn on the tap.

Kids need to be taught how to do things for themselves. Your friend will probably have lazy fucker kids who never do anything. Because she never taught them how

LateKate2 · 03/03/2023 22:16

My little girl is 4 and I let her pour her own cereal and milk with me hovering over her lol. I’d like to think by 5 and 8 she’s capable of doing it herself. It’s all about Independence and life skills surely. Your upstairs for 10 mins getting dressed your friend is being unreasonable imo

Imthegingerbreadwoman · 03/03/2023 22:17

At 8 years old I expect them to be able to do that at the bare minium! Mine are 8 and 9 and will get cereal, toast, sandwiches, snacks, cold drinks. 9 year old will make mug cakes in the microwave. Your friend is strange.

At 8 my mum left me with a baby and I made bottles fed and changed the baby! I'm not condoning that! But just showing that at 8 years old they can do many things!

Imthegingerbreadwoman · 03/03/2023 22:19

My 9 year old is nearly 10 really but he walks to.school and home alone. It's 5 minutes and one road. I always follow but he is always home before me by about 5 or 10 minutes while I collect the others and I walk past uus class to make sure he's there in the mornings

And I thought I babied him!

Randomhead · 03/03/2023 22:19

My son has been going downstairs and getting his own cereal from about 5. Only incident has been some spilled Cornflakes

Johnisafckface · 03/03/2023 22:19

my DD was getting her cereal at 4/5 yrs old on the weekends - she was an super early riser so would be up at 6/7 and I would need at least another half hour/hour of sleep. So I would put a covered plastic bowl with cereal in the fridge for her with a small container of milk and she would make her own cereal and watch cartoons til I got up. She is now a well functioning, successful adult.

Swipe left for the next trending thread