Well, I remember making my first dress when I was 8 years old - on a treadle machine - way back then. I don't recall when my daughters began sewing - but early in life. I dear lady gave me a great little machine - I have several others - like Bernina and others but this one is light and great to take to quilt guild. It's Kenmore, Mini Ultra - look for deals on the internet. I agree with you - don't buy a child's toy machine - but a REAL MACHINE that can be used and used.
Blessings, Dorothy

I think you are better off with an inexpensive full size sewing machine - I hopefully will have this problem in about 8-10 yrs when my granddaughter is this age. I hope, I hope

I bought a White at WalMart for $89.00. Does a great straight stitch and is very basic.

I started sewing when I was 8 on my mother's Singer. You do need to give instructions on cutting and the sewing machine needle, but if she is interest let her try. I didn't hurt myself sewing until I was 54. So age doesn't make a different. You can go to Harbor Freight and buy pane glass carrying suction cups for your rulers. This will be like a handle on the ruller that will keep her fingers way away from the blade. Rotary cutting would be the only thing I would worry about.

I taught my niece and nephew to sew when they were about 8. They were well supervised and didn't lose any fingers. My nephew was actually better at it than my niece, so I think it really depends on how comfortable you will be letting her use your machine and spreading her wings. Good luck and have fun with your daughter doing something together you both enjoy.

One of my grandaughters started at about 2yrs old sewing on my lap. She loved it so much that she continued sewing on my lap until about 5yrs old. Then I sat next to her and controlled the foot pedal but she controlled the material. I taught her to use scissors, and little pieces of fabric to sew off onto to controlling the thread just as I do. Before long she wanted to use the foot pedal as well. Somewhere I read to roll up a sock and stuff in between the footpedal so she could press down very far, as well as taping the pedal to a small stool so she could reach it. She sewed that entire summer that way and when she turned 6 she was tall enough for me to take the pedal off the stool and also lose the sock controlling the amount she could press down. She did great ! She is very responsible and can't wait till we live closer so she can sew more often. I say as many have already done---buy her a full size machine--or let her use yours. My dear Emily has always sewn on my expensive Pfaff and I have never regretted letting her do so.

My daughter started at nine, and honestly I just let her sew on a regular machine with supervision, of course. I learned on a regular machine a d see no reason for a special one for kids.

Most of the Janome machines have a speed control that controls how fast you can go even with the "pedal to the metal".
I have 3 granddaughters that I have started on a full size machine. I set the control to "turtle" and they can't go too fast even if they press all the way down!
The oldest was about 8 when she started and her sister was 6. They both worked on a Janome Jem Gold that I had bought for their mom.
The youngest sister was 5 when I started her on my Janome 11000. (Get the feeling I like Janomes?) She just zipped along sewing strips together.
I wouldn't invest in a mini machine. They would outgrow it too fast.

I taught my daughter to sew on my regular Bernina (which has a slower-speed switch) when she was 5 years old. My mother taught me at 7 years (on doll clothes!) with a wood block in the foot pedal to keep the machine from going too fast, and her mother taught her when she was in kindergarten.
Guess it's just a family tradition!

I think the problem is more with the grandmother than the child. My DGD started sewing with her own machine when she was 5. It is a Viking Viva, an $800 machine I got for $500. She is now 12 and can do anything with it. My other DGDs are 10 and 6 and also sew. I even let them use my expensive machines with little worry that they can hurt themselves or the machine. You just have to show them how to "drive" it and not get their fingers under the presser foot.