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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 237864" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>A lot of it really does depend on the child, the child's range of problems, and the way in which she has been introduced to these different things.</p><p></p><p>The changing of clothes - occasionally it doesn't matter too much - if a kid is really tired, it's holidays, you arrive home late and you want the kid to stay asleep - I might put the child to bed fully clothed. But in general, we also insist on the child changing into night attire, cleaning teeth (at the minimum) and where possible, also having a bath/shower.</p><p></p><p>Knives - we teach our kids to help with cooking and we teach them the correct way to look after knives. husband keeps the knives really sharp in our kitchen, if we didn't teach our kids they'd help themselves anyway and risk cutting themselves. In fact, that is what happened to difficult child 3 when he was about 4 years old - husband, difficult child 3 & I were having a summer lunchtime picnic in our garden, eating under the big gum tree. I'd made a plate of big salad vegetable pieces for difficult child 3 including his favourite, red capsicum (sweet pepper). He finished his salad and took his plate back inside. He had asked if he could have more red capsicum, I said to help himself, to take the half I'd left on the cutting board. However, he decided he was a big boy and he could cut that half into pieces. He came out screaming hysterically (I almost joined him in hysterics) with blood streaming down his arm. He'd cut himself with the very sharp knife. I called the doctor who came and attended to him. All he needed were some steri-strips (instead of stitches) and a stern lecture.</p><p></p><p>We never had another problem with difficult child 3 and the knife!</p><p></p><p>But that is the sort of problem that you really do need to avoid. I never would have dreamt that a 4 year old would attempt to use the kitchen knife or I would have already taught him. The problem had been caused by difficult child 3's poor communication skills.</p><p></p><p>WHat we have done with our kids - we have strict rules about how to look after the knives. Our main kitchen knife is actually a small saddler's boot knife, it's made of black iron with a rough wooden handle. But it's the BEST vegetable kife... it's also small, easier to handle safely. But being black iron, it needs special care. It MUST be wiped off immediately after use and it should be stropped after each use also. Now, the younger kids are shown what stropping is but not expected to learn how until mid-teens (it's time to teach difficult child 3). But they MUST always wipe the knife - if they don't feel confident about doing this, then don't use it. They are also shown how to sipe the knife safely.</p><p></p><p>At a really young age, the kids were not permitted to use the knives at all, without an adult present and supervising. The age varied according to how capable the children were - easy child 2/difficult child 2 was using our boot knife when she was 5, she was very competent. The boys - about 6 or 7. difficult child 3 wouldn't touch it for a few years after cutting his hand.</p><p></p><p>We have a much bigger stainless steel knife, the kids avoided using it until early teens, for most of them.</p><p></p><p>Teaching them to do various kitchen tasks under supervision is, I feel, the best way to keep kids safe. If you wait until they try it for themselves, you risk what happened to us with difficult child 3. </p><p></p><p>Cooking in the kitchen with younger kids - a lot of foods I got the kids to help with, can be cut with a plastic spatula or a butter knife. When cutting pastry, I prefer the back of a butter knife, it's not so sharp and does a better job. </p><p></p><p>A good friend of ours has one very precious daughter, a very capable easy child. But she has refused to let her daughter help with cooking if it involves using the oven or using the hot plates. The kid is 11 and is only just learning how to cook on the stove. I think that's over the top, frankly. When I was 11 I had already been for several years helping get the evening meal for the entire family, I would come home from school and wash, peel, cut up and cook a bucket of potatoes, most evenings.</p><p></p><p>Sitting in the front seat because the kid is feeling sick - I don't have a problem with that, if the law doesn't. But the child does need to be safely strapped in, in whatever seat is comfortable as well as the legal requirement.</p><p></p><p>Laws change. Customs change. Often you will find that the child quickly adapts to different adults who have different rules - after all, they have different rules at school. But one parent shouldn't undermine another, by encouraging a child to break the rules of the other parent.</p><p></p><p>I can understand Grandma wanting to teach her granddaughter safe kitchen practices. Perhaps introduce a rule - "Only handle sharp implements when there is a supervising adult working with you."</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 237864, member: 1991"] A lot of it really does depend on the child, the child's range of problems, and the way in which she has been introduced to these different things. The changing of clothes - occasionally it doesn't matter too much - if a kid is really tired, it's holidays, you arrive home late and you want the kid to stay asleep - I might put the child to bed fully clothed. But in general, we also insist on the child changing into night attire, cleaning teeth (at the minimum) and where possible, also having a bath/shower. Knives - we teach our kids to help with cooking and we teach them the correct way to look after knives. husband keeps the knives really sharp in our kitchen, if we didn't teach our kids they'd help themselves anyway and risk cutting themselves. In fact, that is what happened to difficult child 3 when he was about 4 years old - husband, difficult child 3 & I were having a summer lunchtime picnic in our garden, eating under the big gum tree. I'd made a plate of big salad vegetable pieces for difficult child 3 including his favourite, red capsicum (sweet pepper). He finished his salad and took his plate back inside. He had asked if he could have more red capsicum, I said to help himself, to take the half I'd left on the cutting board. However, he decided he was a big boy and he could cut that half into pieces. He came out screaming hysterically (I almost joined him in hysterics) with blood streaming down his arm. He'd cut himself with the very sharp knife. I called the doctor who came and attended to him. All he needed were some steri-strips (instead of stitches) and a stern lecture. We never had another problem with difficult child 3 and the knife! But that is the sort of problem that you really do need to avoid. I never would have dreamt that a 4 year old would attempt to use the kitchen knife or I would have already taught him. The problem had been caused by difficult child 3's poor communication skills. WHat we have done with our kids - we have strict rules about how to look after the knives. Our main kitchen knife is actually a small saddler's boot knife, it's made of black iron with a rough wooden handle. But it's the BEST vegetable kife... it's also small, easier to handle safely. But being black iron, it needs special care. It MUST be wiped off immediately after use and it should be stropped after each use also. Now, the younger kids are shown what stropping is but not expected to learn how until mid-teens (it's time to teach difficult child 3). But they MUST always wipe the knife - if they don't feel confident about doing this, then don't use it. They are also shown how to sipe the knife safely. At a really young age, the kids were not permitted to use the knives at all, without an adult present and supervising. The age varied according to how capable the children were - easy child 2/difficult child 2 was using our boot knife when she was 5, she was very competent. The boys - about 6 or 7. difficult child 3 wouldn't touch it for a few years after cutting his hand. We have a much bigger stainless steel knife, the kids avoided using it until early teens, for most of them. Teaching them to do various kitchen tasks under supervision is, I feel, the best way to keep kids safe. If you wait until they try it for themselves, you risk what happened to us with difficult child 3. Cooking in the kitchen with younger kids - a lot of foods I got the kids to help with, can be cut with a plastic spatula or a butter knife. When cutting pastry, I prefer the back of a butter knife, it's not so sharp and does a better job. A good friend of ours has one very precious daughter, a very capable easy child. But she has refused to let her daughter help with cooking if it involves using the oven or using the hot plates. The kid is 11 and is only just learning how to cook on the stove. I think that's over the top, frankly. When I was 11 I had already been for several years helping get the evening meal for the entire family, I would come home from school and wash, peel, cut up and cook a bucket of potatoes, most evenings. Sitting in the front seat because the kid is feeling sick - I don't have a problem with that, if the law doesn't. But the child does need to be safely strapped in, in whatever seat is comfortable as well as the legal requirement. Laws change. Customs change. Often you will find that the child quickly adapts to different adults who have different rules - after all, they have different rules at school. But one parent shouldn't undermine another, by encouraging a child to break the rules of the other parent. I can understand Grandma wanting to teach her granddaughter safe kitchen practices. Perhaps introduce a rule - "Only handle sharp implements when there is a supervising adult working with you." Marg [/QUOTE]
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