Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah my 8yo packs her own whole ass lunch and then takes the subway to school by herself. Your DH is really not doing your kid any favors here

This cracks me up. The long posts about the horrors of a child sleeping over her friends house with just one parent home and then you have these posts about navigating the city alone.

To be fair, I’d rather have her independent kid in society.

Signed,
A mother who is realizing her 4 year old can probably make a sandwich

Anonymous wrote:Yeah my 8yo packs her own whole ass lunch and then takes the subway to school by herself. Your DH is really not doing your kid any favors here

This cracks me up. The long posts about the horrors of a child sleeping over her friends house with just one parent home and then you have these posts about navigating the city alone.

Anonymous wrote:18 months? I was making my own toast by then.

You had some idiot parents. Or are you exaggerating and they were right there with you.

Anonymous wrote:
Any time they want?

I have a very controlling spouse who never wanted to kids to make a mess, and it was an uphill battle for me to push for a little independence. I don't mind spills and a little waste of food, but my husband does, very much so. It meant that my kids had to wait until their teen years to be allowed to cook. Sandwiches, probably in early middle school. They could have learned all this way sooner!

Sure they could have, if you had made better choices!

Yeah my 8yo packs her own whole ass lunch and then takes the subway to school by herself. Your DH is really not doing your kid any favors here

My parents expected me to pack my own lunch starting in 1st grade. This included making sandwiches, getting a bag of chips or goldfish, packing carrot sticks...

My 6.5 year old can do this. Often does.

3-4

Geesh Inwas making my own bacon and egg sandwiches at that age.

What could possibly go wrong, It’s peanut butter, jelly, 2 slices of bread and a butter knife.

Maybe some crumbs on the counter, or they forget to wipe the peanut butter off of the knife before stick it in the Jelly (moldy jelly) but I’m almost certain it’s impossible to cut yourself, or burn the house down while making a pbj sandwich, which makes it a kid approved activity.

It would take less time to test the question than to argue over it! And if the kid doesn't have the dexterity, they can get it through practice.

Both my kids (3 and 5) can make a PBJ. The 5yo uses a regular butter knife, 3yo still has a smaller kids knife.

My rule of thumb has always been to ask, what are the worst possible consequences here? Is there the potential for real bodily harm? And does what they can learn from it outweigh those potential consequences?

In this case, self-confidence and practical life skills far outweigh a the possibility (OK, probability!) of a smeary kitchen and a mangled slice of bread. Not to mention the opportunity to teach some cleaning skills.

Making mistakes—making messes and cleaning them up—is the best way to learn. I can’t imagine telling my child they weren’t allowed to learn a new life skill, just because it might make a mess.

7 is plenty old enough to make a sandwich!

Any time they want?

I have a very controlling spouse who never wanted to kids to make a mess, and it was an uphill battle for me to push for a little independence. I don't mind spills and a little waste of food, but my husband does, very much so. It meant that my kids had to wait until their teen years to be allowed to cook. Sandwiches, probably in early middle school. They could have learned all this way sooner!

6-7 for sure. By 8 the kid should be unloading the dishwasher.