When a child reaches one or two years of age, it is important to start teaching them motor skills and basic survival skills because they are fast learners at this age. As such, there are numerous pre-schools and skill development centres where you can enroll your child to learn specific developmental skills, and one such skill is to use knives in the kitchen. It is an ideal way to introduce your child to basic kitchen skills, and you can find a safety knife or a set of safety knives online and start giving your child cutting and dicing lessons.
If your toddler develops such skills, it will help them become independent in terms of cooking at an early stage. Moreover, it will also help them become sharper in other fields. Meanwhile, many brands manufacture child-safe knives for teaching and learning purposes. And the following points list some safety rules you must consider when you are planning to teach your toddler knife-using skills. So, refer to these points before beginning their journey:
Introduce as Tools
Many parents make this mistake while introducing their children to child-safe knives, letting them use these tools as toys. It will make them believe that these safe knives are toys, and they will end up using the real ones as toys too. So, to prevent any accident or injury, you must make them aware of the risks by introducing knives as tools to your children. You can do that by setting rules like holding the knife only by the handle and not the blade, using when necessary, and putting it back in a safe place when you are done. You should also tell them that real knives are dangerous, and the kids should not use them unless they are allowed to.
Make a Routine
Introducing a routine to a child is difficult because they will not follow it easily. So, you will have to introduce all the rules slowly so that they can develop a habit of following them. So, when you are planning to teach your child to learn to use knives safely, you will have to make a safe routine where they first start to use a safety knife and get used to all the rules. After a good learning period, they will understand the usage and safety measures.
Stay Calm
Many times the child may keep on making mistakes. In such situations, you must not lose your temper by scolding or punishing them because it will make them disinterested in the whole activity. So, you must stay patient and keep the whole activity interesting. Moreover, you should make them feel included by asking them for help with kitchen tasks. For example, when preparing a fruit salad, you can ask your child for help by making them cut some fruits with child-safe knives. It will make them feel responsible and want to learn the skill with interest.
Don’t Be a Perfectionist
Many people make their children feel bad if they don’t learn fast or chop fruits or veggies in the wrong shapes. So, you should not be a perfectionist because it will restrict the child’s learning process. Instead, you must let them explore everything in their own ways initially. It will release all hesitation and enhance their explorative nature.
Start at the Right Age
According to child-learning experts, the ideal age to start teaching your child knife skills is when they are more than 18 months of age. You can start with soft fruits and veggies like bananas. You can make a separate kitchen counter for them that has all the necessary items safe for children. Meanwhile, many brands manufacture such safety knives for children to let them learn these skills. You can search online and purchase the best for your children.