When you think of cooking with your children, you might think of all the mess involved and the time spent preparing and then cleaning up. Of course, It is much easier to get the cooking done yourself, but you will miss out on a fabulous bonding and learning experience with your children. Not only will you be passing on a valuable skill to your children- teaching them how to nourish themselves and other people, but you will also be creating memories in the kitchen that they will probably never forget.
Unfortunately, cooking from scratch is a tradition that has been somewhat forgotten in our fast-food culture. The ability to cook fresh ingredients and create dishes from scratch is a skill that our grandparents would have had, but increasingly is disappearing from society. IT is important to maintain our food culture, and to be able to be self-sufficient in the kitchen.
Before you start your young children off in the kitchen, it is important that they learn basic skills, particularly when it comes to safety in the kitchen. You can start children off by allowing them to handle familiar, or new, foods that they can explore with their hands (and mouth) before then showing them how you can incorporate them in simple recipes. When age-appropriate you can show them how to cut soft vegetables or fruits with a knife - which will also teach them the need to respect certain tools and differentiate between toys and tools.
Simple recipes can be made fun as well as educational. Fruit skewers can be an easy way to learn about patterns and counting. Try alternating colored fruits, and show your child how to make a repeating pattern with fruits. Other skills that children will learn through cooking include measuring and weighing. Baking is a science after all, and requires you to stick to the exact ingredients and measurements. Allow your child to weigh butter, milk, and sugar, and watch as they learn through this play.
Whether you’re throwing a dinner party for friends or you’re hosting a birthday party, letting your children get involved with the process will make them more inclined to want to help out in the future. Granted, it probably isn’t a good idea to let them help out with over-complicated dishes, but even a simple job can make them feel involved and learn the discipline of cooking, and washing up. Choosing recipes with your kids is all part of the fun. With thousands of recipes at our disposal online, finding recipes that your children can get involved in (and eat) is easier than ever. If it’s chicken you plan to be cooking, then this Italian chicken recipe is bound to be a hit with your children as well as any guests who will be joining you.
Washing up is just as important as cooking. Showing your children that they need to clean up after themselves will be a good life lesson. Not only will they develop culinary skills that will stay with them, but they will grow to be independent individuals who are able to feed themselves and others.
I think it is so important to get kids in the kitchen. I started learning around the age of 4 how to cook and I am so glad!
ReplyDeleteTeaching your children to cook is such a rewarding experience. I have wonderful memories of my son and daughter helping me out in the kitchen!
ReplyDeleteI have great memories of my mother teaching me how to cook. There was a Betty Crocker Cooking for kids book that I loved.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun when our children help cook!
ReplyDeleteMy niece and youngest nephew always wanted to help cook. The oldest nephew preferred banging on the pans and eating the cooking results!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right! It does seem with time restrictions, especially when both parents are working, and the kids different schedules, cooking from scratch has been somewhat forgotten in our fast-food culture! It’s too easy to go out for Wendy’s, pizza �� or whatever you have a taste for. It’s too bad, because in my opinion, homemade food tastes so much better ��
ReplyDeleteYou are wise...kindly, Chris Ann
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