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At what age could your kids cut their own food with a knife?

Mrs MannersMrs Manners member
in Parenting
I was watching the show Food Revolution and there was a portion of the show where he wanted to use knives and forks for the kid's lunch. He was astounded that many of the kids didn't know how to use a fork and a knife. Most of them seemed comfortable with the fork but the knife seemed foreign to them. At what age could your kid reliably cut their own food with a knife?
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Re: At what age could your kids cut their own food with a knife?

  • hikerbethhikerbeth member

    I was wondering that myself.

    My DD isn't there yet.  At before 4 she could cut soft foods (ie: pancakes) with the side of her fork and she can spread butter with a knife, but not cut anything tough with a knife.

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  • shouldbworkinshouldbworkin
    I would think 1st grade, at least.  I'm pretty sure I could do it by that age.  My kids can cut bananas with plastic non-serated knives.  They learned it at school. 
    DS1 age 7, DD age 5 and DS2 born 4/3/12
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  • ccm1203ccm1203 member
    DS can cut chicken and some "tougher" things, starting at about 4.5 yrs old.
    Cheryl, Evan 4.25.05, Paige 7.2.07
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  • jpowell3jpowell3
    At 5 we are still working w/ds on this. He isn't very good at it.
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  • Emiliana7Emiliana7

    I woudl think by 8 kids should... I wasn't allowed to have a sharper than a butter knife until I was 14/15 but that's a whole other story...hehehe...

     I think its a cultural thing. I think kids in the USA get coddled a bit much with things, such as knives and cups.

    I read an article somewhere and it had in it where the french don't typcailly use sippies they go right for a cup.

     

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  • DevonPowDevonPow member

    DS can cut soft things (like pancakes) with a fork and knife right now - he loves using knives. In fact, he was slicing a hard boiled egg earlier today.

    Now, this is not to say he does it very well/neatly, or that he does it often (he still is primarily a hands eater, no matter how many times we ask him), but we always give him a knife and fork at dinner, so he can experiment.

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  • brightningbrightning member
    She cuts a lot of her stuff now at nearly 3. She kinda butchers it, but it works for most things. Tougher items I still cut for her.
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  • CleoKittyCleoKitty member
    Ds is 5. He cuts some simple things himself, but it's not like he can handle a steak knife and a ribeye all on his own either, LOL.
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