How young is too young to let your kid help out in the kitchen?
That's a question that many people on the internet are asking after a mom shared a video of her child using a knife.
Janet Lansbury, a popular parenting blogger, has recently posted the video, which was submitted to her by a fan who wanted to highlight that it's never too early for children to help with household chores.
"I've been working on giving my 2.5-year-old meaningful helper roles during our household tasks, not just to 'occupy' him while I get things done, but ways he can really contribute," the woman, who has only been identified as Kathleen, wrote.
She gushed about her son's ability to help put away silverware, wipe down surfaces, and meal prep.
While many parents are scared to hand a sharp knife to their child, Kathleen seems to be confident in her son's chopping skills.
"Tonight he chopped all the cucumbers for the salad while I prepared the rest of dinner," Kathleen proudly explained. "Then he dressed it and mixed it. I really enjoyed making dinner together tonight."
Kathleen's capable boyAwesome!!! I love this from Kathleen: "I've been working on giving my 2.5 year old meaningful helper roles during our household tasks"”not just to "occupy" him while I get things done, but ways he can really contribute"”pairing socks, putting away the silverware, wiping the low surfaces in the kitchen with a rag, etc. Tonight he chopped all the cucumbers for the salad while I prepared the rest of dinner. Then he dressed and mixed it. I really enjoyed making dinner together tonight, and the pushed I've gotten around trust from this group have helped. Thank you!"
Posted by Janet Lansbury - Elevating Child Care on Tuesday, January 8, 2019
"LOVE! My 2 girls age 2 and 4 help me cook everyday," one supporter wrote on Facebook. "I give them chopping boards, sharp Japanese knives (which I have taught them how to use) and they chop all the veggies."
Another wrote: "Awesome to see so many kids learning to cook! My daughter (now 7) asks to bring her knife with her when we are cooking away from home! She has better knife skills than I do!"
However, not everyone was comfortable with the idea of a toddler handling such a sharp knife.
"..anyone else worried he could lose his balance on the stool, fall, and land on the knife? #NotWorthIt" asked one viewer.
"Am I the only one freaking out about a 2 year old with a knife?!?" read another comment. "Yes it's absolutely a great idea to have them help you with meaningful jobs but...a 2 year old with a knife?!? No thanks."
Since those on social media can't agree on whether or not the boy should be using a knife, experts have weighed in on the matter.
Clinical psychologist Eileen Kennedy-Moore explained to Today that there is no problem with a 2.5 year old using sharp objects as long as they are properly trained and supervised.
"In addition to the benefits to themselves of feeling capable, encouraging children to help others contributes to the development of empathy," the author of What's My Child Thinking? told Today Parents. "It also fosters a sense of belonging when children see themselves as contributing in meaningful ways to their families."
She added that not only is it beneficial for children to learn these skills at a young age, they find it more enjoyable when using items that they see adult using often instead of toys.
