Angelina Jolie shares her love of cutlery with Maddox
Categories: Fun & Activities, Safety, Celeb Parenting
I must have been nine or ten; I remember being almost as amazed that I won the auction for the pocket knife as I was that my mother let me bid on it. That was, however, the first of many knives and other weapons I owned -- a few of which my mother knew about and many which she didn't. Apparently, Angelina Jolie had a similar experience.According to the Perez Hilton website, Angelina told W Magazine that her mother took her shopping for a knife when she was eleven years old and she is now continuing the tradition -- she recently took her son Maddox knife-shopping. Maddox is a bit younger than both Angelina and I were; he is only seven.
I'm not sure seven is old enough to have a knife of one's own but given his mom's experience, I'll bet Maddox will learn to use it safely.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lisa G. 10-15-2008 @ 9:59AM
A seven year old is too young to have a BUTTER knife, let alone anything that can do any real damage! What's wrong with you people??? What folks think is OKAY for kids to be involved with these days boggles the mind - and I am not an old lady by any means. My mom would NEVER have condoned my owning a knife at seven years old.
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Uly 10-15-2008 @ 12:58PM
So when exactly do you think your child should be able to cut her own meat? When she goes off to college?
We've been teaching my nieces to use butter knives to cut things and to spread butter and whatnot since they were three (the older one) and two and a half (the younger one - she's more responsible than her sister was at this age).
I was five when I was trusted to make my own PB&J's - and I did, very neatly. That was when I was given the can opener and told to feed my own darn cat - and I think I got two cuts before I figured it out.
Your mother was overprotective - as are you - if she didn't even let you use a butter knife by the time you were in school.
JHZ 10-15-2008 @ 1:37PM
There is a clear difference between learning proper use of a butter knife as cutlery at a meal, and going shopping for a knife to have as a keepsake or souvenier at such a young age. Any kind of a knife you go "shopping" for and collect is usually a knife that is pretty darn sharp...and dangerous. Such objects can easily be misused (even by the most responsible 7-year-old) and as we all know, accidents happen all the time...not to mention the fact that in the Jolie-Pitt home there are five other (younger) children that could get their little hands on that knife or be harmed by it...all in all, not such a good idea.
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Uly 10-15-2008 @ 8:23PM
Oh, yes, JHZ, I agree - which is why I'm not advocating giving your seven year old a pocket knife anytime soon :)
But seriously, people need to keep their hyperbole away from the comments.
Debbie 10-15-2008 @ 1:43PM
That just goes to show why that lunatic should not have any children. Who allows their seven year old to buy a knife, and I'm pretty certain they didn't go out to buy a butter knife. Knives are not toys. Boys love to play games that involve play weapons, so at that young an age, I would certainly not buy him a real one. Lets' see they eat junk food all the time as shown by pictures of the crew, she buys them weapons, they have no stable home life, what great parents!
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Karen 10-15-2008 @ 3:01PM
I have no problem with a 7 year old having a knife. My son started learning knife skills and carving and whittling last year and he is 8. We don't give him complete access to it and he has to have an adult around, but we don't give him complete access to his iPOD either. He has rules for his knife. He respects it and I suspect he is a lot less likely to hurt himself with his very sharp knife than you are.
He is also learning how to shoot a gun. Again, same principal. He is educated on how to use it.
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Michelle 10-15-2008 @ 6:10PM
I agree with Karen and Uly. My son is now almost 13, but due to my family and his father's family backgrounds, he grew up around knives and guns. Not just laying around...someone was bound to misinterpret that...but being used responsibly, with set boundaries, and locked in a safe when not in proper use. My son got his first small pocket knife at 6 as a gift from his grandfather. None of us know what Angelina's rules and boundaries are and we've no real right to judge her. We all have our own boundaries and responsibilities, my son happens to be extremely responsible with his guns and knives but that is through experience and responsible teaching (hello...weapons safety classes). I also know that those are his prized possessions and when he gets in trouble those are the first things he looses access to. Puts him right in his place.
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