School-Aged Children
KL777
member
What age did you let your child start going into the fridge on their own?
KL777
member
Just curious. DS is 4.5 and DH and I still don't let him go into the fridge on his own. TIA.
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Re: What age did you let your child start going into the fridge on their own?
My kids are almost 8 and 12. They still ask permission, but they get their own stuff and choose their own portions. They know that they're allowed to have a snack midway between breakfast and lunch and midway between lunch and dinner. If they've just snacked or eaten, but they are feeling munch-y, they'll chew gum or get a drink of water instead of eating.
For the 12 y/o, asking is just a courtesy at this point. If I think a snack is really unwise, I'll discuss why and let her figure out what to do.
My son is starting to be more reasonable about his snacks. A year ago, if I'd let him get his own snacks whenever he wanted, he'd have been eating all day long.
Yeah, about this age too. I am not the maid or the short order cook. As long as they clean up and don't leave a mess, I really don't care. None of them overeat, and there aren't any foods in the house that are particularly unhealthy. Right now the unhealthiest thing in my fridge is diet cola, and they don't like it. They'd rather decimate the stash of milk and nectarines.
DD will turn 5 next Monday! She has been going in the fridge on her own for a few months now. She always asks if she can get a snack (from the pantry) or will say she is thirsty. Most of the time, she has a drink that was left over from the day before (juice, water, milk) that we have her put away when she is done drinking. So when she says she is thirsty I just tell her to go and get a drink. She can now open the fridge so it makes it a lot easier.
And to me it also teaches responsibility and respect. If she is "old" enough, "big" enough to open up the fridge to get her drink, she is old/big enough to put the drink away when she is done if she didn't finish it. Plus, I got lucky where I didn't teach her to ask for permission before getting a drink/snack, it just sort of happened. But if it hadn't happened, I would have taught it.
If there isn't a drink for her, I have to get one for her as she isn't able to do that yet. But her snacks are on the bottom shelf of the pantry and the only snack that she would have in the fridge would be fruit which is at the bottom as well.
Mother of two wonderful boys! Blessed through adoption.
With the oldest, probably around 5. We let her get her own cereal in the morning on weekends.
My youngest has been getting his own breakfast since he was about 2, but he sees his 2 older sisters doing it and wants to be just like them. We obviously help him but he'll throw the door open and pick the yogurt he wants.
Thanks ladies for all of the replies. I had been thinking that now is a good age for DS to obtain this priviledge. DH was slightly on a different page than I was (thinking DS would try to grab a whole bunch of stuff) but we talked about it and agreed. Now we allow DS to ask if he can get this or that.
He did it for the first time yesterday (waterbottle in the fridge) after he asked permission. DS and I were both excited (cheesy, I know :-) Another great milestone :-)
3.5 seemed to be the turning point for both kids. All that they can really get is fruit or a yoghurt though.
My oldest two are 8&12 and they still do not go in the fridge or pantry.
Sometimes my oldest will refill the milk glasses at dinner.