Kids are often more than willing to help in the kitchen if given the opportunity. However, asking a child to help you in the kitchen does not mean letting them stir the gravy while you do everything else. You need to take a risk and allow your children to make mistakes and learn from them in the kitchen. This will help your child to grow as a person, learning life skills and bonding with you.
Here a few tips and tricks to help get your child motivated and excited to help you make your next meal.
1. Get a Stool - I have taught children as young as three years old how to cook pancakes, eggs, and fruit parfaits. If you have little shorties in your household get them a small stool to stand on so they will be at a more comfortable level to help you in the kitchen and learn the basics.
2. Encourage Healthy Foods - "My kids won't eat fruits and vegetables" I HATE that parents hide fruits and veggies in foods. My opinion is to teach kids about healthy foods right from the beginning. Make it a game, and fun!! Here is an example...Asparagus. Show your child the raw asparagus, make fun of how it looks, heck poke your kid with an asparagus stalk and laugh when they shriek. Show your child how to naturally bend asparagus to break at the tough end. Let them break the rest. Continue cooking the asparagus, as well as the rest of meal. Chances are your child will at least try the asparagus by the end of the meal. They have a sense of pride in doing so much work. They may try it, they may love it. They may hate it. You never know...it's worth a shot.
3. BE PATIENT - Ok, so maybe you don't want your five year old helping you make dinner on a Monday night with Bible Study, Football Practice and a stack full of work to do, but try to let them help when possible. And be patient with them. They will spill, they will drop things, they will make a mess. If your child is older and helping with the actual cooking, they will burn food. Expect it. Even the world's best chefs screw up sometimes. NEVER, EVER yell at a child for spilling or accidently dropping food. That will reverse all of your hard work. Your child may burn or cut themselves. If this happens do not let them run from the kitchen to never return. Rejoice, "You are a real cook now!!" Encourage them to keep on cooking. They don't quit football the first time they are tackled right? Same thing here.
4. Give Credit and Praise - When the meal is finished and everyone sits at the table to eat, tell the whole family that "Johnny" cooked the pasta and made the salad. Refer to him as "Chef Johnny." and make sure that your child receives the much deserved credit. This will propel them to help in the future.
5. Encourage! - After a few times of helping in the kitchen, your child may discover a true passion for cooking. Encourage this hobby. Buy them their own apron, chef hat and if they are older and truly serious about cooking, buy them their own knife. Allow them to plan the nights menu and help with the shopping.
The Bottom Line - Cooking with kids is a fun and educational way to bond with your child. Have fun with your little ones making memories. You will be teaching them about nutrition, math, science and history, without even realizing it. Those are the moments you and your child will grow up cherishing.
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