What is the Point of Cooking with your Kids?

Why take the trouble of getting our kids to help with meals? Wouldn’t it be quicker and more efficient to do it on our own?

Some readers have asked me why they should bother having the kids learn and we take the trouble with teaching them while cooking. Isn’t it much easier just to sit them at the table and teach them math and science and nutrition and the food pyramid and so on.


Kids in the Kitchen

 What does it mean by having kids in the kitchen?

Yes it probably will mean spending longer in the kitchen but ….

Think about it, WHY NOT?! Spend that extra time with them. I think the number 1reason to have our kids in the kitchen is that it BUILDS A BOND between parents and their children. It BUILDS MEMORIES.

Before even the teaching of math and science or teaching them a live skill – it is the TOGETHERNESS that we create. Parents, we have to eat and prepare a meal. Let’s get the kids in the process so that it becomes a routine for them. Of course there are exceptions.

Let’s encourage our kids to cook at home – its healthy, provides them with valuable life skills and teaches them to be confidence and independent. They will never be hungry.

And the ability to cook is a very attractive quality.

How do we go about teaching our kids in the kitchen?

Start young. Keep the kitchen and activities safe for the kids. If started from young, they are more receptive and let them make a mess. They will see cooking as a fun activity rather than a chore.

Kitchen Activities. Some simple kitchen activities to get your kids excited.

(i) Pastry making – let them mix and roll. Let them make their own jam tarts, pies and such. Let them in, in the filing. And remember not to fret if there is a mess

(ii) Continue explaining what you are doing – you will be surprised what sticks in their minds although they may seem that they are no listening

(iii) Ask your children for meal suggestions- plan  a meal together

(iv) Prepare a budget or shopping list together. Look for a recipe together.

(v) Prepare and clean the vegetables

(vi) Go shopping – ask your kids to pick fresh vegetables and fruit. Teach them about expiry dates – tip – recipes for the younger ones – try not to have more than 5 or 6 ingredients.

(vii) Choose simple dishes with your little ones and perhaps more difficult ones with older children

(viii) Guide and advice but let them do themselves

(ix) Of course cleaning up afterwards – make this fun – and if they don’t want to do that’s ok too. Let them enjoy the joys of cooking

I am putting together appropriate recipes and cooking and kitchen activities for the different ages and hope to place some teaching activities too as an easy reference for parents. Subscribe to this blog so that your email is in the database for me to email you as soon as it is ready.

In the meantime, please send me a comment or email me if you have any comments or views on what you would like to see in my book

Happy Cooking and Teaching!