What age can kids make tea or coffee on their own?

[Sweetlordjesusonajetski]

I mean, on average :) I know it'll vary a bit between individuals. Looking forward to the day I don't have to brew my own tea anymore :P

[girlsyearapart]

I know boss it's heartbreaking!
You can still work it in into the Cook badge if you try hard enough though

[TheGoodEnoughMum]

My oldest was almost 8 when he first made one by himself. Did it using the hot water machine in the buffet restaurant at Butlins (so there's no lifting / sloshing of heavy, high-up kettles). He was very proud of himself - we drank a lot of tea that holiday!

[Vickisuli]

In year 3 my daughter's homework grid (they could choose from loads of different things which gave them homework points), there was 'learn to make a cup of tea/coffee, and make them regularly for your parents' :-)

So she learned age 7 BUT we have a hot water dispenser thing you just put the cup under and push a button and it delivers a cup. Not sure I would trust her with a full kettle, they are quite heavy apart from anything else.

She makes me (instant) coffee sometimes. She can use the microwave to heat a cup of milk for her own hot chocolate too. Though she once got the two processes mixed up and made me a sort of latte by heating a whole mug of milk then adding instant coffee to it! :-) tasted ok actually.

[desertgirl]

DS (8) learned at Beavers, I think (so before he turned 8) and now brings me a cup of tea in bed in the morning most mornings. Which has made his bright eyed and bushy tailed early morningness distinctly less irritating, though I am still working on the 'not before 6am' part!

[TeamFlood]

I also made my first cuppa for my brownie badge, I think around age 7. My DD is 9, and she has just started making me tea, although I still get worried she will hurt herself!! She is perfectly capable and very sensible though and she won't do it if the kettle is too full as she finds it too heavy. She makes a cracking cup of tea, so perhaps I should stop being such a worry wart and just let her get on with it!!

[Paintedpinksapphires]

I remember learning how to make tea and coffee for my parents and how excited I was that I could do something so simple for them that made them so happy.

My parents are pretty fabulous and even as a wee girl I liked being able to show my appreciation.

[NotCitrus]

Ds age 6.5 is sensible enough and could be motivated by bribery to make a cuppa, but is too short to reach the kettle or sink - he can now get himself a glass of water which is helpful, but not milk/juice as can't get them out the fridge.

Dn is tall enough, nearly 7, but has no sense nor inclination.

Meanwhile dd age 3 would love to make real tea and thinks it most unfair I won't let her use knives with blades over 4 inches. She's quite good with a cheese grater and carrot peeler (carrots end up peeled mainly on one side).

I got taught to make instant coffee and tea age 7 for Brownies - my dad loved it and I still hear "four-fifths full, NC, four-fifths full. Then add the milk and stir until it's homogeneous. New word: homogeneous."

[ShelaghTurner]

My 7 and 3 year olds drink tea. We're of Irish stock, tea flows through our veins.

[MrTumblesBavarianFanbase]

My 7 year old can make pancakes and pizza start to finish including using oven and hob - it's a lot about height and strength being safe doing those things (hob especially - much more dangerous on a step stool than feet firmly on the floor, much more dangerous if not high enough to see and use implements etc).

What's with the "obsessed" comments - asking a question isn't being "obsessed". We do hundreds of things a day for our kids, lots of kids like to do something nice in return - DD drinks fruit tea so uses the kettle to make herself that but also likes to make me tea and takes pride in doing "grown up" helpful things as long as they only take 5 mins and she doesn't have anything better going on :o

Seems to be a "thing" on MN for somebody to jump on even the most randomly gently musing thread and accuse people of being "obsessed" or "worked up" about the topic

[MrTumblesBavarianFanbase]

For me it's about when they are tall and strong enough to lift the kettle safely from whatever work surface it lives on, and pour the boiling water, without needing to stand on a stool or step. Also about when they want to/ feel ready.

DD was 8. DS1 is already bigger at 7 than she was at 8 so I'd let him/ teach him if he wanted, but he doesn't drink any drink involving kettle boiling and is nervous of using the kettle so only suggested it once half in jest and he's never tried.

Coffee using a 1 cup pad machine can be made by a 3 year old as long as you're standing with them - I frequently have to have coffee when I want tea because my 3 year old loves making it but obviously can't use the kettle

[dotty2]

Not 'obsessed' - just that it's quite a nice thing if someone makes you a cup of tea or coffee.

[MumSnotBU]

My dc's do drink tea and coffee-from age about 8 roughly. They make tea and toast. They do all cook at school from age 11.

[Titsalinabumsquash]

On the flip side of these, my 14 year old niece has taken to just running the hot tap for s few seconds to make coffee/tea for anyone rather than boiling the kettle, in a hope that we won't ask her again!

[StarOnTheTree]

10

[iseenodust]

DS is 10 and he made a cup of tea last month but really struggled with the height/weight of the kettle (and he's quite tall) so we agreed I'd continue to deal with the boiling water for a while yet.

[ArcheryAnnie]

Mine started making tea for be about 9. He's now 13, and the tea has improved (he's got a wee bit more patient so lets the teabag sit for more than a nanosecond). He's got a heavy hand with the milk, which I like.

He can do bugger-all else in the kitchen, though, except make his own toast.

[Amrapaali]

My 9 year old drinks coffee on and off. She made me a brilliant brew on Mother's Day. With the perfect amount of coffee, sugar and milk. Just the way I like it. I was very impressed...

[Fleecyleesy]

Another strange MN thing. An 8/9yo doesn't drink tea/coffee. Why are MNers obsessed by getting kids to make tea/coffee for them? Completely bizarre. I'd say when they are old enough to be drinking tea/coffee then they can make it if they wish.

[toptomatoes]

Eek - need to train DS (8) up then! He fills the kettle for a hot water bottle but often fills it too high. He can make his own toast but we haven't tried progressing past that yet!

[crapfatbanana]

I can't remember at what age I was first allowed to use the kettle...

My eldest is nine and has not been allowed to make hot drinks yet, but I think is probably sensible enough now to learn.

[ShelaghTurner]

DD1 is 7 and doesn't yet. Niece, now 12 has been making tea for a couple of years and it hinged on whether she could lift the kettle of boiling water safely. She found it heavy and her arm shook which made it unsafe. So I'm waiting with baited breath... :)

[dotty2]

And AdoraBell - 6 hours?? At 13? Is that normal? How depressing.