Toe clips will definately help. Clipless might be easiest on the knees if they have enough float. You will find yourself in a too easy gear (pedaling air) less often with experience, but toe clips always help to keep your foot positioned correctly on the pedal. Put the clipless pedals back on when you are ready, you will learn to love them I think, but using toe clips for now makes sense to me. You don't want to be slipping off those metal pedals.