Tips for Teaching Your Kids To Cook

As parents it is our job to give our children the skills necessary to thrive when they leave the comfort of our homes. One vital skill kids need to learn is how to cook for themselves and their future families. Girls and boys alike can benefit from quality time in the kitchen with you learning how to plan, shop, and prepare meals. In general the younger you start the better. Here are some great ideas for teaching your kids to cook.

Tips For Teaching Your Kids To Cook

Safely teach your child the basics of cooking

One thing that can get in the way of parents teaching their children to cook is fear that their child will get hurt. A valid thought considering the many hazards in the kitchen. We can not let our fear of the worst get in the way of teaching our children the skills they need to thrive without us. You can, however, practice good kitchen safety when teaching your kids to cook.

One of the most dangerous parts of cooking is cutting food while preparing it. This skill can be taught safely with a few tools. Always keep your knives sharp. This will prevent your child from trying to push too hard and the knife from slipping and should an accident happen a sharper knife causes a cleaner cut that can be repaired easier than a jagged tear. When teaching your child to cut or use other sharp kitchen tools like a mandolin, get a pair of cutting gloves to protect your child’s hands from getting cut.

Another common concern is that your child will get burnt while working in the kitchen. Teach your child to never touch pots and pans with unprotected hands. Use silicone oven rack guards to make it safer for your child to pull items from the oven when they are old enough. You know your child best. Hyperactive children will need to wait until they are older to do tasks that will put them in contact with heat.

Where to start with teaching your child to cook

A great place to start when teaching your child to cook is by teaching them to make their favorite foods. This is a great way to get your child excited to learn to cook and once they master making their favorite foods you will have less work to do each day.

Younger kids can start in the kitchen long before they are ready to cook on their own. Measuring and mixing are great ways for kids to work on motor skills and even math while they help you. This is a great way to get even young preschoolers comfortable in the kitchen and familiar with basic safety rules like staying away from hot pans on the stove.

Have your child join you in the kitchen allowing you to teach them how to make the foods your feed your family. This is the perfect time to demonstrate how to perform basic cooking tasks from flipping pancakes to boiling water the best way to learn is through experience.

Have your child help plan meals. Reading through cookbooks and scrolling Pinterest boards is a great way for your child to help you find new and interesting recipes to create together. Have your child help shop for the items needed for another opportunity to teach math and basic life skills.

The best thing you can do is to just dive in and start teaching your child the basics. Even young preschoolers can fall in love with making sandwiches, mixing baked goods, and helping to shop for their favorite fruits and vegetables. By teaching your child to cook they can look at your stocked refrigerator and not feel the need to tell you there is nothing to eat in the house.

 

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