What age do you let the kids get their own food for breakfast and lunch.
My older kids are 11 and 6. At Breakfast time the older 2 get their own food for breakfast.My daughter does the cereal and milk. My son who is 11, will do other things, but he is allowed to use the toaster oven. Sometimes I am upstairs taking care of Faith,so I cant always help.On the weekends, we dont always eat lunch at the same time depending on schedules. My older child is very capable of making his own sandwich etc.. Dinner of course, I make dinner for everybody.
Well I have a friend with 3 boys, who are 12, 11 and 8. She has to do all meals for them. She was talking to me through IM, and will say "My boys are starving I need to get them their breakfast".. Maybe Im the bad parent, but If my older kids are hungry, they are perfectly capable of getting food for themselves.Now there are some weekends that I will make pancakes or eggs for everybody for breakfast so we all eat together. How do you do it in your house? Im not talking about the younger kids. I just think a 12 and 11 yr old are more then capable of getting their own food if mom is busy and they are starving.
Oh and I did not mean, that IMing is more important then feeding your kids. But, she tells me she gets all the meals for them at all times.

By Melanie on Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 10:24 am:

My kids are 10, 8 and 5. The oldest two help themselves to breakfast almost daily and often help the 5 year old get hers. They are all very capable of making their own lunch...the five year old often insists she does it on her own. LOL. I have coached the oldest through making eggs and pancakes as he did all the work. I want my kids to be independent. I want them to be able to cook, do laundry, clean, manage money, etc. We only have 18 short years to teach them what they need to know. I won't be doing them any favors by doing everything for them.

By Debbie on Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 10:49 am:

I have a 5 and 8 yr. old. My boys usually get breakfast for themselves during the week(cereal and milk or granola bar and milk). I do have to help my 5 yr. old with the milk if it is full because it is too heavy for him to pour. On the weekends, we usually eat a hot breakfast together that dh or I make. I do not let either one of my dks use the stove or oven unsupervised. My oldest does know how to use the microwave and toaster. As far as lunch, my oldest helps me pack his lunch for school. I do make my youngest lunch when he gets home from K, usually he wants to help.

By Colette on Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 11:47 am:

My oldest two are perfectly capable of making their own, but I usually do it because I like to.

By Tripletmom on Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 12:10 pm:

My DD can get cereal and milk.Sometimes its cream cheese and crackers.Shes not allowed to use the stove,toaster,microwave.She likes to stir things for me and likes to butter toast.

By Sunny on Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 12:23 pm:

My kids started getting themselves their own breakfast at an early age. By the time all of them reached kindergarten age, they were more than capable of getting a bowl of cereal by themselves and/or making a sandwich. My youngest, who will be 4 in July, insists on getting his own cereal in the morning, but I still help with the milk.

By Trina~moderator on Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 12:45 pm:

My kids (7.5 & 9.5) usually get their own breakfast and snacks, sometimes lunch. I've taught them how to use the toaster oven and microwave. I want them to learn how to do these things for themselves because I do not want teens who expect to be waited on.

By Dawnk777 on Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 01:09 pm:

My teens get their own stuff. They bake, cook, use the stove and the mixer, load the dishwasher (when they want to!)

I don't remember when I started letting them, though. It's all a blur. My kids didn't like cereal in the morning, when they were younger, but they love cereal now. It's quick and easy.

By Marcia on Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 05:46 pm:

My kids, now 9,11 and 13 have been making their own breakfast and lunch for years. They sometimes pack their own school lunches, but more often I do that. They can all use the microwave, and they use the toaster feature on the oven. I have the kind that has an upper and bottom oven, so the top one we just use for toasting most of the time. The 13 year old is allowed to use the stove, but the other 2 aren't.
I want them to be completely independent!

By Juli4 on Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 09:58 pm:

my kids are 5,3, and 2. If we didn't keep the refrigerator locked they think they can just fend for themselves. I have come into the kitched while they were making sandwiches. If it is unlocked and they are hungry they will go and get their own apple or fruit. I found my 3 and 5 year old sitting in the kitchen eating yogurt the other day. I think by the time they are old enough they will have no problem fending for themselves. Hopefully they do it with a lot less mess.