What age should a child have free access to food/kitchen?

[Fixerupper77]

I am at loggerheads with DH over a fridge purchase.

He wants to buy a fridge that DD3 can access - so she can open the door and take some food or a drink out.

Whilst I am all for promoting independence I think the idea is absurd because the cons far outweigh the benefits and there are other things we can do to teach self-sufficiency. I think its bonkers to give a 3 year old free access to a fridge.

Am I being unreasonable here?

Age 3? No way - unless he wants milk and juice all over the floor.
From age 6 when they are bigger and have more coordination then they can start opening the fridge!

I don’t know; it can promote independence etc but I would carefully consider what is in the fridge! I guess if they have their own fridge then they don’t have free range over everything that’s in a main fridge. Not something I would do personally though. Couldn’t you just get the food they need access to out the fridge at the beginning of the day instead?

Mines 6 and only just started helping himself to food sometimes. A smoothie, cheese string ect

Well hopefully the fridge will last a few years so maybe 7 or 8 but at 3, no way. They would wreck the place.

I think independence is good but I don't think a fridge is necessary.

Mine have free access to fruit and water and that works fine

Mine's had free access to the fridge since around 3.5-4, she's 7 now. She'd grab her water bottle or the flavoured water we get for her, was always told what she needed to leave alone. She knew not to get any food without permission, she also has her own drawer in kitchen with her snacks and treats and again has had this since she had access to the fridge.
I guess it depends if your child understands what she is and isn't allowed.

Mine have both always had free access to the fridge/cupboards from about 3.5.

I've always done breakfast, lunch and dinner but ever since they have been big enough they've been able to get their own snacks etc

I still help with drinks if the squash bottle is too full.

We have an under counter fridge, so it's always been accessible, though my kids rarely get anything out. We don't keep masses of 'treat' snacks in there, so I'd be happy for them to have anything in there. I have a high cupboard where treat food goes, but they have free range on fruit and a box of sensible snacks they can help themselves to. Occasionally if tea's going to be ready soon I'll ask them not to have anything else, but beyond that they self-regulate pretty well (ages 7&4)

Yeah I think you’d end up with half drunk bottles of drinks everywhere tbh.

I mean, same thing happened when we gave access to a fruit bowl. Just apples with one bite and squashed bananas everywhere.

At 23 perhaps!

They can have access to the fridge when they're big enough to get into the normal fridge.

If he wants to teach independence get a lever action vacuum flask and let her self serve drinks and a small fruit/snack bowl....although she probably won't eat it all or will stop eating meals.
Is he just a lazy arse that doesn't want to get up.....a few thrown eggs might be more work.

Don’t do it. Currently in an Airbnb with an integrated fridge in a kitchen base unit. My two and a half year old figured it out instantly and we have to watch him like a hawk otherwise it’s half eaten apples and milk and Cheerios mixed on the floor.

My 5 year old DD could reach into the freezer, as it's a combined fridge-freezer with freezer at the bottom, from 3.5 years old.

She kept leaving the door open.

Now at 5 she can go in there and closes the door. She just gets ice pops but as I leave them joined together she has to ask me to separate them. (Stopped me finding the freezer was left open for 10-30 minutes.)

She can get into the bottom part of the fridge if she steps on a stool but I don't leave anything she can open on her own at the bottom so she doesn't bother.

She isn't interested into going into cupboards. There is other food like biscuits, chocolates and sweets where she can easily access them but she doesn't bother unless she asks me.