At what age do you let your kids REALLY cook if they show interest?

Anonymous 1

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I don't mean letting them stir stuff, or sprinkle sugar on things,

I mean put things in and out of a 425 degree oven, use the really sharp knives, ect.

If they really love that great British baking show and they want to do one of those super hard cakes by themselves, at what age do you just go , yeah, sure... have at it. (those contestants really do cut their fingers a lot though)
Anonymous 2

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At 12 with me supervising
Anonymous 3

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Mine start at 8 with simple dinners. They all have a night where they are responsible for planning,shopping,cooking and clean up. Tonight my 11 yo is making country fried pork chops,pot of pinto beans(dried) cornbread and fresh collard greens. He already has the beans on and is washing the collards now
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Frau Holle
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It's the mess that would concern me most. Those cakes make huge messes if you're not cleaning as you go and kids are not usually doing that.
“ I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night “ - Sarah Williams
Anonymous 3

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Frau Holle wrote: Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:25 am It's the mess that would concern me most. Those cakes make huge messes if you're not cleaning as you go and kids are not usually doing that.
That’s a parenting fail not a kid fail
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Its not an overnight thing. Its gradual - use knives with me watching for a few years til I'm sure they're good with them, which was 10 or 11 if I remember right. Make their own pasta around 9 or 10 without me watching. Baking depends on what it is - a boxed cookie mix, maybe 9. Cooking meat where you need to make sure it's cooked through, around 12. Never made a cake sculpture like the baking show, lol.

The clean up part was always more of a struggle to learn than how to not burn yourself.
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Frau Holle
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Anonymous 3 wrote: Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:37 am
Frau Holle wrote: Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:25 am It's the mess that would concern me most. Those cakes make huge messes if you're not cleaning as you go and kids are not usually doing that.
That’s a parenting fail not a kid fail
I don't think that's a failure on anyone's part. Kids take a long time to have cleanliness come naturally. That's not a bad thing, their brains are structured for new experiences and imagination. Cleanliness and organization come later.
“ I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night “ - Sarah Williams
Anonymous 4

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5-6
Anonymous 3

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Frau Holle wrote: Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:57 am
Anonymous 3 wrote: Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:37 am
Frau Holle wrote: Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:25 am It's the mess that would concern me most. Those cakes make huge messes if you're not cleaning as you go and kids are not usually doing that.
That’s a parenting fail not a kid fail


I don't think that's a failure on anyone's part. Kids take a long time to have cleanliness come naturally. That's not a bad thing, their brains are structured for new experiences and imagination. Cleanliness and organization come late

They learn by example and parents teaching them if they see you cleaning as you go and if you teach them how to clean a kitchen properly then there is no issue. Like I said parenting fail
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Frau Holle
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Anonymous 3 wrote: Sat Jan 18, 2020 12:10 pm
Frau Holle wrote: Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:57 am
Anonymous 3 wrote: Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:37 am

That’s a parenting fail not a kid fail


I don't think that's a failure on anyone's part. Kids take a long time to have cleanliness come naturally. That's not a bad thing, their brains are structured for new experiences and imagination. Cleanliness and organization come late

They learn by example and parents teaching them if they see you cleaning as you go and if you teach them how to clean a kitchen properly then there is no issue. Like I said parenting fail
They do learn by example, but children usually take longer to instinctually perform tasks based on cleaning rather than continuing on with their first train of thought.
“ I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night “ - Sarah Williams
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