At what age should you allow a child to make tea or coffee?

Question

My 9 yr old thinks she is perfectly safe, however I think it could end in tears and 3rd degree burns, disfigurement, etc etc

Answer 1

i would leave it as late as poss as they may not be that easy for them to carry a cup of tea in yet and still may spill it .....i didn't let my son make tea till he was 12 ...i spose it was because when i was 9 i made my mum one and dropped it all down my arm and chest and now have 3rd degree burns and bad scars left ....not good...

Answer 2

She needs to be tall enough to reach the kettle or coffee machine without having to stand on anything and the same for the cups, coffee/tea etc. If she can reach these all fine then let her make the drinks with you watching over her a couple of times and then on her own.

As long as you make sure the kitchen is safe for her and she can reach everything safely and she understands to be careful she will be ok accidents can happen to anyone you are best off giving her good training now when she is young and then she will grow up to be wise and independent.

Answer 3

11

Answer 4

I think if you don't at least let her try you and she both will never know if she is big enough. The main thing you need to consider is if she is big enough to reach over the stove without getting burned by any of the burners, do you have gas or electric cooking, do you have a tea-pot that she could lift and pour from easily if it is full of water. Why not give it a shot and supervise and make sure she doesn't try it when there isn't an adult there.

Answer 5

Sometimes the decision is taken out of your hands. I remember my husband and I being woken up at about 6 a.m. when my son was about seven or eight. He was carrying a tray with 2 cups of tea on and a plate of toast.

I was horrified and felt very guilty because I had slept through it. He was so proud. After that I involved both my children whenever I was baking or cooking a meal and was pleasantly surprised by their enthusiasm and interest.

I think your child will either become bored with it after a while, or, become more interested and want to learn how to do more things.

Whatever the outcome, be strong, be patient and enjoy the teaching experience.

Answer 6

Kid's shouldn't be having coffee until they are in high school. Coffee is an addicting habbit and 9 year's old is too young to be starting coffee.

But tea is ok at her age especially if you are helping her the first few times for her to know how to do so. And just incase she does hurt her self from the water she needs to know what to do.

Answer 7

Depends on the child. Perhaps you could compromise and say she can do it but only when you're supervising, or maybe let her do everything except pouring the boiling water. Either way you've got to let her do it someday, and if she fels like she's perfectly safe, she probably is! Make sure she understands the risks, but everyone has to learn through experience. Remember, once bitten, twice shy!

Answer 8

I'd say tea is fine for a 9 year old, but I wouldn't let my kids have coffee until they were older, like 14 or 15 just because of the health risks that come with coffee.

Answer 9

It sounds too simple to be true, but once they are tall enough to reach the kettle, they are intelligent enough to make coffee without disaster. And face it, the same thing could happen to a perfectly capable 30 year old, burns can happen, but like I say, stick to the above advice and you'll be fine!

Answer 10

Depends on the child.

At 9, I think it's a bit young to be using the store unsupervised. However, I think some kids could use a coffee machine.