Child Knife Use Age To Start

[lannyman8]

As stated, what age should I let my boy start using a knife??????

he is only young so plenty of time but any advice is most welcome.

many thanks

Chris.

 

[sandbender]

My son is two and he can sharpen his carpenters pencil (under close supervision).

 

[santaman2000]

Obviously the question is about outdoor type knives but it really isn't quite that simple is it? From butter knives and table knives to pocket knives for whittling. They're really all interrelated. When he starts to use a fork he's old enough to start to try to butter his own bread (blunt knife of course) From there just follow what you think he's capable of. Every child is different.

 

[xylaria]

It depends.

When kids have really good attention span and can follow rules but also have good enough fine motor skills. Despite what modern parenting tells you there isnt a race. Do not do well my kid has had knife since he could walk thing. It is stupid. It always make parents look like muppets no matter what is. I mean that generally not just knives. You will know when your own is ready for sharp tools. My daughter never really got the type of concentration needed to safely use a knife unsupervised. She is now in her last year of a levels and wants to read some wierd genetics thing at uni. She looks about and chats when using an axe STILL!!!!. my son could concentrate on a blade at 6 years old however.

 

[dwardo]

We have my little boy chopping veg when cooking with mum (4yrs old). He sits on the kitchen top under strict supervision and he is fine.
But.. as Xylaria says he loses concentration and before you know it the knife is being waved about. Hardly unexpected as there is so much going on in his lovely little mind

Slowly slowly will be the key. Will be a while before I let him lose whittling something but hey he has all the time in the world. Its not so much the skill or dexterity they lack its the concentration and visualization of potential dangers of being around sharp things.

 

[NicfromBristol]

Mine started with cutting mushrooms (at home) when they were very little (2?) as you can use a butter knife.
They progressed to sharper knives gradually based on their concentration.

They each received their own knife when they cut their 1st adult tooth-a kind of right of passage

 

[Bowlander]

You'll know when they are ready. My lad got a little Brusletto Balder when he was 4 and is now confident and sensible with knives at 6.

 

[lannyman8]

like i said he is still young but for obvious reasons did not want to start him to young. he gets the knives (and other bits) out of the dish washer with care and knows they are sharp and to be careful. he will be 3 soon and i will start shooting lessons with an air rifle this summer, maybe start some knife things then too....

thanks for all the advise, was curious what other little ones have done...

regards

chris.

 

[Squidders]

Every child is different which is a bit of a cop out. I have used a knife with my son with him sitting on my lap and me assisting. He will be five in May but he generally doesn't focus much so is generally unsafe. I don't mind personally, he is who he is - he's awesome. I can just see it taking another year or two at least for him to learn proper concentration.

That said, he knows knives are tools, he knows they are very sharp and to respect them so I'm absolutely cool with his progress. At the end of the day, though I would love him to love the outdoors as much as I do, he might not and i'm not going to make an issue out of it. I just try to get him excited about it all and hope the bug will get him someday.

 

[Alreetmiowdmuka]

Every child is different which is a bit of a cop out. I have used a knife with my son with him sitting on my lap and me assisting. He will be five in May but he generally doesn't focus much so is generally unsafe. I don't mind personally, he is who he is - he's awesome. I can just see it taking another year or two at least for him to learn proper concentration.

That said, he knows knives are tools, he knows they are very sharp and to respect them so I'm absolutely cool with his progress. At the end of the day, though I would love him to love the outdoors as much as I do, he might not and i'm not going to make an issue out of it. I just try to get him excited about it all and hope the bug will get him someday.

Well said


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[superc0ntra]

Depends if they are out as a group or individually. With my group of kids (14) we started using knives when they were 6 or 7 but when I was out with only my daughter she was 4.
Had to bring a lot of patches for the first term or so though.

A bit of a side track, I can remember when I was 6 or 7 (soon 50) and all the kids would run around the neighborhood with Moras playing Tarzan and there was no reaction at all from the adults, also a friend of my mom taught in a Sami school many years ago and all the kids from 5 up had knives with them to school, it was just natural. Her first reaction was shock but it quickly passed.

 

[BigX]

On the other hand, I was talking to one of my friends about this who spent years living with forest tribes in the Amazon. Out there, kids use machetes as part of everyday life from the moment they can lift them. You'd think 'ah, well they learn to respect them as tools not toys', but my mate said he had seen some of the most horrific injuries occur, even deaths. Kids are kids even when they learn it from the cradle.

Incidentally the same thing applies to fire - he'd seen kids terribly burnt, usually on their backs from falling backwards into open fires.

Sorry Lannyman, don't want to scare you, I guess the answer is 'watch 'em' like a hawk!

 

[Idleknight]

I let my kids use small kitchen knives at home since they were about 4. I got them a Hultafors training knife, when they could repeat to me the knife safety brief they got at the wilderness gathering. When they are able to look after the knives and do basic first aid, I plan to let them use a pointed knife.

 

[Wayne]

Running courses for all ages groups you get to see lots of kids. Some 5 year olds are great with tools they can concentrate for ages and understand actions have consequences. Others much older are a liability and it changes day to day with the same child depending on their enthusiasm and the weather etc. I'm happy to allow some 5-6 years split firewood under very close supervision and there are 16 year olds that shouldn't be allowed to cross the road on their own.