What age did you allow your child to use the kettle?

[tastychicken]

My son loves a wee milky tea at night. I admit I'm probably a bit over protective and completely out of whack with stuff like this but what age did your child use the kettle

I don't remember the specific ages, but I think it is more to do with height than a specific age. I didn't want them reaching up above them to pour boiling water.

When they did start using the kettle, then it tended to be with me there beside them so I could watch out for potential risks.

10 for most of them and 12 for dc with additional needs.

About 8. I thought the kettle was manageable but not cooking.

5-6 supervised, closer to 8 by themselves, but they cook regularly so it’s all part of that

They learnt to make tea in Beavers around 6yo - supervised though. They made me tea regularly from about 10.

I started doing it aged 7- I was tall though and really liked being thought of as responsible- very sensible child and my dad just wanted someone to make him a coffee while my mum was at work
My own DS - he was nearer 11/12 because I'm madly overprotective - really he would have been fine from 10.
It's very different depending on the child- my nephew- the mad thing that he is/was- I would say 14 in all honesty for him .
Very closely supervised 6/7 depending on child.
Most kids- 10+

I've just realised that neither of mine have ever used a kettle - they're teenagers! We don't drink hot drinks so there's never been any need.

for me i was ten for my nieces and nephews they were between 8 and 11

Back in the day the first Brownie badge was always the hospitality badge to make tea & coffee for the parents who came to watch you officially become a Brownie. That was age 7. I definitely wouldn't have let my 7 year old use a kettle -I think they were closer to 12 but they didn't really drink hot drinks so it wasn't really a focus.

I agree with a pp, it was down to height. Probably supervised around 8 but both were incrediably grown up for their ages.

All I will say is this. Please please teach him what is and isn't safe to put boiling liquids in. When I was younger we were taught to pour the boiling milk from the saucepan into a Pyrex jug so we didn't spill it pouring into the mugs. Our mother assumed my brother knew the milk jug wasn't Pyrex but he thought all glass was the same. He has a huge scald across his stomach from the glass shattering with the heat. They spent ages in a and e. He was only 8.

But surely, as teenagers they would have used the kettle to boil water for pasta / noodles / veg / melting chocolate / boiling eggs / and probably many other things?
I can't perceive how you get to teens without boiling a kettle.

I was probably around 8 or 9

I don't get why you use the kettle for those things?

@tastychicken I got the Brownie hostess badge, I would have been 7, but I don't think I was allowed to make tea etc at home until I was at least 9, but that would have been more to do with being very short (still not quite 5ft) more than age.

DS did for a cubs badge at 8 (in lockdown so fine at home) and has made tea since. I did supervise quite closely and make sure he used the step so he could reach better.

I recently taught my 9 year old how to make me a coffee.

When they were taller than the kettle on the side- so reaching down to it not leaning up to it at all

Dd was 9 when I had ds and she loved making me a cuppa while I was stuck breastfeeding the baby!

10 for my DD. She was sensible enough younger than that but she’s a little shorty so she had to wait until she could reach safely.

This is a good q- I was around 3 but would not recommend it, it’s a miracle I was never injured 😂 I’d be put up on the worktop and told to make coffee.

Makes it hard for me to judge but with DD I don’t think I’ll be trusting her to do it for the next few years, probably when she’s around 10. She’s not the most sensible child.

Mines 8 and never used one but we don’t drink hot drinks so it’s never used anyway

It's noticeable many children haven't used them before when we use them in science in year 7, some can be quite dangerous with them - snatching them, leaving them on the very edge of tables.

The instructions recommend that irons and kettles can be used from 8 years.

I bought a Dolce coffee machine, so DD can make a hot drink if I'm still at work as she gets home earlier than me, we don't use the pods but just use it for tea and this removes the hazard of pouring a full kettle as you just push the handle to dispense water. I also made sure she knew what to do incase she scolded herself.

8 ish I think. Tho once my DD made me a cup of tea one morning using the normal hot water tap- was disgusting 🤣

In the U.K. it’s much quicker to boil water in a kettle than on the hob. Or do you have a boiling water tap?