Tips for Teaching Your Children How To Use A Knife

Don’t touch it! Stay away from it!

These are some common reactions of parents as they see their child approaching or playing with a sharp object such as a knife. While keeping the knife away from toddlers is one safe solution which most parents adopt, however, there comes a time when a child is just curious to learn and see how the knife works.

Once you know that your child can now understand what sharp means as well as does also understand the hazards associated with same, you can start teaching him how to properly use a knife. Of course, start with a butter knife and then gradually as he develops the grip and knows how it feels can you dwell and make him understand how to handle a sharp knife.

Below is a list of 6 tips which you can use to help teach your kid how to use this rather sharp object. However, do make sure that your child always practices or uses a knife under your supervision.

1.    Start With the Way To Hold Knife

The first thing you can teach your child is how to hold a knife. Give your child a knife and allow him to practice a firm grip on the knife. Don’t mind the position and let your child hold the knife the way he feels comfortable, until the time it won’t cause him harm. However similar to holding a pencil everyone has his/her own style of holding a knife and it is best to let them use a knife the manner they feel best comfortable with.

2.    Teach them how to use their other hand

The next thing you can teach your kids is to have them learn how to hold the cutting object in their other hand. You don’t want your child’s finger curled down the vegetable or fruit they are cutting which may eventually lead them to injure their hands once the knife goes through. You also want them to have a firm grip on the vegetable, fruit etc. they are cutting so that the same doesn’t fall to the floor. Teaching them this step is going to be hard and will require a lot of patience, and hence don’t rush them into learning and be easy if they aren’t able to do it in the first place. You can also buy new knives and read reviews about various knives on http://www.cutitfine.com/kitchen-knife-set-reviews/.

3.    The Chop Motion

The chop and draw motion is one of the easiest ways to teach them how to use a knife is. Have your children use their free hand and place it on the top of the knife. Then ask them to apply a force on the top of the blade and it automatically will slice the items you are cutting and then remaining in the same position ask them to draw blade away from the item in 45-degree motion. This process is easy to explain will allow them to learn the art of using knife easily and at the same time will protect their fingers from sustaining any injury.

4.    The Draw Motion

This motion is best to be practiced with a smaller knife than an 8-inch blade. Explain to them that this motion works when they have longer vegetables with them such as gourd or cucumber. To learn this, place tip of the blade on the top of vegetable which should be placed horizontally in front of you. And draw a line all towards the other end of vegetable holding the other end of this vegetable steady with the free hand.

5.    Be focused and alert

Don’t teach your child how to use a knife when you yourself are busy doing other things. Because as your mind is diverted you won’t be able to oversee your child’s action and he/she may end up hurting themselves. Also, don’t try to teach them everything in a single day, instead give them time and allow them to slowly learn how to move and use a knife.

6.    Buy them practice kit if you feel scared

If you aren’t confident or ready to hand over a real knife to your child yet, you can buy them a lettuce knife and give them clay to cut and practice the skills you have taught them. Once you feel that your child now has the required grip and control, you can give him a real knife to play with.

So, these are the 6 tips which you can consider while teaching your child how to use a knife.