Is my child old enough to cook for himself?

My daughter is only allowed to stir in the pot few times, she can also add salt and pepper or other things that don't make a splash.

I would definitely say it all depends on the individual child! When I was barely 10, I ran a dog-biscuit baking business all on my own independent of my mother's help. I had watched her long enough int he kitchen to know what to touch and what not to touch, how to turn the oven on and off responsibly and how to put things in and take things out of the oven safely.

My youngest sister is now barely 13 and nothing short of a pro in the kitchen. She is an expert when it comes to homemade bread from scratch because of the extensive amount of time spent cooking and baking from the time she was between 7 and 8 years old. Lessons started with my Mother and I of course, and she gradually grew less and less dependent on us. I would not hesitate to say she is now a better cook than I am!

Common sense applies here . . . and trust your gut!