subject: Why Parents Should Cook With Kids? [print this page] When is dinner ready? Wouldn't it be nice to ask your kids that? Parents should cook with kids from an early age.
Cooking is a great way to bond with your kids while coaching them life skills. It is a way to teach essential lessons while you get chores done. Kids can start learning some basic cooking skills as early as 3 or 4 years old - ripping lettuce into pieces; kneading dough, dropping spoonfuls of cookie dough onto sheets, folding napkins, etc. As children grow older, they can take on more complex duties and ease the burden on the parent doing the cooking.
There are various reasons why it is important to cook with kids, but here are my top 5.
1. You'll teach them life skills: how to feed themselves.
2. You will have quality / bonding time together. Kitchen chats while you are preparing food are a great way to catch up with hectic lives.
3. You can train your kids kitchen safety under your supervision - avoiding accidents later.
4. You could teach your kids about health/science: how stuff grows, what organic is, what is local & imported, etc.
5. Teach your kids the way to choose fresh produce and meats: what to look for, what different cuts mean, what to do with older produce (soups, quiche, stews, etc.)
Cooking lessons need not be limited to the kitchen. The next time you go grocery shopping, bring your child along. Show them how to pick out the best meat and produce. Teach them to read labels and look for bargains. Discuss food combinations and menu ideas while making a shopping list. At restaurant meals, discuss the presentation, food combinations, seasonings, etc.
There's a big world of food beyond the fast food take out window. Teach your kid to enjoy making their own healthy and tasty meals so they can enjoy better, and cheaper, food.
by: Jack Andee
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