Hello mamas and papas,
So, my son brought home a paper from his kindergarten yesterday about having a cooking class next week. He just turned 6 years old, but the majority of the kids in his class are only 5 years old. (We live in Japan. The school system is different here. Japanese kids are not required to go to kindergarten. They enter first grade the year they will turn 7 years old. Most kids however go to kindergarten, similar to preschool and kindergarten in the USA, for two or three years. The third year is comparable to kindergarten in the USA. Kids must be 5 years old to join the third year of kindergarten. The school year starts in April here. My son is on the older end of students because his birthday is in early summer. We decided to only send him for the third year of kindergarten, so this is still a very new experience for us.)
The paper states that they will be cooking curry rice. I was in complete shock. I thought they would make something much easier, like rice balls, sandwiches, cookies, cake... So, I asked his teacher about how they would make curry. I think my jaw must have hit the floor when she said that they would chop vegetables with a knife. Did I miss something about kids with cooking these days? Do kids in the USA chop vegetables with a knife in kindergarten? Or is this one of those cultural differences?
I love cooking, and I most definitely want to teach my son how to cook. I am working on getting all of my recipes made nicely into a book so that he can have them when he gets older. I also plan to teach him how to make everything I can, whether or not he is really into it or not. Cooking is one of those life skills that I think everyone needs to have. I started when I was young, but at 6 years old I was only helping with cookies, cake, and sandwiches. I also snapped beans or shucked corn. I started peeling vegetables around 9 or 10 years old, and I don't think I touched a kitchen knife until I was 11 or 12. I was fully preparing meals for the family at age 13. I just can't imagine handing a knife over to a 5 or 6 year old and letting them cut vegetables.
I have let my son help me making cake, pizza, rice balls, sandwiches, and cookies. He loves measuring ingredients and sifting flour. Would you let your 5-6 year old join a cooking class where they would be using a knife? I' m in shock. I am wondering if I just misunderstood what the teacher said to me. She doesn't speak English, so that is a possibility. I will ask again, but I want to be better prepared to say something just in case I did understand correctly.
In addition to my question about whether your kindergarten age child is chopping vegetables with a knife, do you have any wonderful recipes that you like to make with your kindergarten age kids helping out in the kitchen?
Thanks a bunch!
D.
Thanks so much for your answers. I had no idea that there was such a thing as a children's cooking knife. After the first answer, I checked Amazon for children's cooking knives. What a brilliant idea! I talked with my son's teacher again today. I asked her what type of knife they were going to use and if I could see it. She said of course a children's knife. It looks like the older kids versions of what I saw on Amazon. It is stainless steal, but with smaller handles and blunt ends. The top part of the blade had cute little animals on it. She said that each kid would only have a short time to chop vegetables. One at a time the kids would get to hold the knife with the teacher holding over their hands and make only three or four chops per kid. They would watch the teacher demonstrate first, and then take turns. They will also get to wash the vegetables, put them in the pots, and stir them while cooking. I feel much better about this cooking class now. One of the other moms that I am friends with now said that I could borrow her child's cooking knife and practice with my son this weekend too.
My son uses a butter knife to butter his toast and cut his meat, croquets, or pancakes now. He is no stranger to helping out with chores in the house either. He understands laundry better than my husband, at least on the sorting and folding part. He will take the dry laundry off the line, fold it, and put it all away without me even asking him to do it. He even folds up our clothing and puts it away. He loves taking the dust mop around the house as well. As far as kitchen chores, he can set the table and clear it, and helps with easy cooking and baking. I couldn't agree more with letting them do things when they are ready. I am so excited to have found out that there are cooking utensils designed for kids to use. I asked my son if he wanted to help me chop vegetables, and he got shining eyes and started singing "I get to help mommy cook. yeah, yeah, yeah..." I think we will be getting some of the kids cooking utensils soon.
I didn't even think about noodles. We will have to make some homemade noodles together. How do you make ice cream in a Ziplock bag?
Thanks again!!!
nothing wrong with kids & knives....as long as they're taught the proper care & usage.
Boy/Cub Scouts began as Tigers & in 1st grade. Both of my sons used knives before Scouts. Both had collections of pocket knives thru their childhoods.
& yes, preschoolers can be taught to safely use knives WITH supervision.
My son "helps" me chop veggies. He has his own knife. It's a kid safe knife. He's only 4, and he's quite good and careful. (Under my watch, of course.) It would be VERY difficult for him to hurt himself. I mean, you'd practically have to forcibly stab someone for it to hurt. Did you ASK what kind of knives they use?
Remember, culturally...kids take on responsibilities at a much younger age in the rest of the world. I'm sure the kids in his class, have already been using knives at home.
If you teach them how to properly do it, 6 year old is fine. My daughter has been doing cooking since she was 1 with her old daycare lady. They had cooking once a week. Sure, for the 1 year olds there was no knife usage, but no reason to not let them learn out of your own fear. Maybe since I don't want to infantilize my child forever, I let her do things age appropriately. She loves helping me cook, helping me around the house, whatever makes her feel like a big girl. She never just gets a knife and is left alone with it, I'm always right there supervising. She helped me cut strawberries last night for strawberry shortcake.
Yesterday at the grocery store she insisted on pushing the cart (I got a littler one since we weren't getting much) and when I was hesitant because it was really crowded after work, she said "Mom, how will I ever learn if you don't let me try?" How can I argue with that?
We tend to really coddle our kids in the US. Kids in other countries usually do a lot more than our kids do and at an earlier age!
My daughter was using a knife at age 6. It was a butter knife, but she was fine with it. I'm sure she was capable of chopping veggies with a sharp knife.
When my daughter was younger she liked to help in the kitchen a lot. She could mix things in a bowl, pour ingredients in and if it wasn't something that would bubble up and burn her, she would stir things on the stove.
I think noodles and cookies are two fun things for little kids to help make! They love to help cut shapes!
I have said this over and over. Never underestimate your children. They are very capable. Especially if you treat what ever it is as matter of fact.
This includes.. everything.. You use words and directions your child can understand and then be there to guide them..
Also allowing children to do things.. their way can also be good.
A childs knife with the reminder. How to hold it, how to hold the vegetables.. etc.. They can do it.
I remember learning how to make grilled cheese in a skillet pretty early.. It was based on when I could see into the skillet while it was on the stove.
Yes I would. But I imagine our house is not the norm. Our four year old sometimes helps cut veggies and such. With proper supervision, it's not a problem.
Good for them. Not a problem in my eyes. Kids in the US are lucky they are allowed to use a spoon! A knife never. My kids used knives early. No one ever cut off a finger. They were taught properly and always supervised.
hhhmmm....my 7 year old has been using a knife to cut his steak for a while but I can't remember when he started...maybe last year or so?
What a great experience your family is going through. I hope your time there is amazing!
I'm sure they aren't handing out cleavers.
I wish they would do stuff like that here...
If the teachers are comfortable, then you should be comfortable. Heck, I'd go in and take pictures that day!
There is a great e-book on Amazon called "Sharp Knives, Boiling Oil." I think by Kim Foster. It's about a mom teaching cooking skills to kindergartners. Fun and enlightening. And, yes, they used knives.
I keep meaning to get a steak knife (or kid knife) so my 6yo can start chopping veggies. I'll get on that.
Yes, I would trust the teacher to know what kind of knife my 5 year old could use. Little kids usually love to cook. I wish I had cooked with my kids more (even though I hate to cook).
This will be a good, and fun, experience for your child. Let him do it.
Reading below: yes, we in America definitely over-protect and coddle our kids.
We made ice cream last week in zip lock bags. The kids loved it!
No, I wouldn't let my 5 year old chop veggies with a sharp knife. She uses a regular knife for cutting up fruit and things... She has also tried peeling potatoes but she sometimes gets her fingers so she has stopped asking to do it.
I too am looking for some fun things to make with my kids. Muffins and smoothies and things isn't' cutting it. My oldest wants to do more.
per ally, i can't get my kids to cut their pancakes with a butter knife and they are definately old enough, maybe if i hand them a steak knife they'll get more into it. insert Tim ALLEN tool time grunt. Someone else said they were sure they weren't handing out cleavers, but what about Ginsu knives??? I"m just being a little silly, sorry.
Montessori kids often learn cooking skills like that in preschool/kindergarten, they call it practical life. they are also big on "sensitive periods" times when certain tasks are really appealing to a certain age group. sort of like how most toddlers like to fill up buckets and dump them out and do it over and over. and helping in the kitchen is one that is pretty fun for the 5/6/7 yo crowd
I think i did let my dd help to cut an apple at 6 She always wants to do "big kid" things and was probably bugging me. She is 8 now and hasn't asked to do anything that would now be percieved as a chore.
As for you situation. I would have DS practice at home under your supervision, it would probably make you feel alot better if you knew for sure he was getting the rules down in a ONE on ONe situation, keep your fingers back, hold the item with your left and hold the knife properly with the right. keep the tip of the knife down and just life the back that sort of thing.
honestly, even if he did cut himself, i would think it would be just a little knick unless he was goofing off and being really irresponsible with it, and your son doesnt' sound like that kind of kid.
