If you are a mom and also a passionate about cooking, then you certainly have wondered how to make the two go together. What could be better than sharing your love for food with your little ones? I have recently found a few tips for teaching kids how to cook.
Be sure and ‘PIN’ me to your favorite parenting board!
Teaching Kids How To Cook With These Fun Tips
#1. Always ask for their help
When you are a busy mom, help is always appreciated, but you’d be surprised at how much your kids want to help you. It is always good to start asking your kids to help out around the house from a young age, but often we avoid the kitchen–and the mess they can make!
If you are cooking, simply ask your kids to pitch in with something small, like whisking, or seasoning. Slowly, they will develop a habit, and they will feel like the meals they eat are a product of their work.
#2. Involve them in the pre-cooking process
As with the previous tip, kids want to be a part of things happening in the house. Show them a couple of recipes like these 25 Ultimate Lasagna Desserts You Have to Make! Or maybe the ingredients you are planning on using, and ask what they think. Of course, some kids are very picky, but they can learn to like vegetables, and other foods, by cooking with them.
To do this, you should give up some control. Yes, at first the result might be terrible, but your kids are learning, and in the process, they are becoming better at it.
#3. Bake, bake, bake
The easiest thing to do with your kids in the kitchen is baking. As before, let them choose what to bake: cookies, brownies, cupcakes. Baking is pretty much any-age-proof, while your kids can learn to use flour, break eggs, whisk, mix, and even how the oven works.
If your children like baking, then you know for sure they like the kitchen. Take advantage of this, and gradually start them on another recipe. You’ll be surprised at the things they can do, and how much they learn from you from simply watching.
#4. Teach them some background
Kids are curious by nature, so why not take advantage of their interest in cooking by teaching them about the history? You can teach them the origins of each ingredient, where itís used most, why you like it, and this way, they’ll associate their love of food with culture and be more accepting as well.
#5. Make it an art project
Kids love getting messy, we as adults, not so much. But for the sake of teaching your children to love cooking, I’m sure getting messy is okay. A good way to avoid a mess is by choosing nonstick cookware, which makes the clean up easier on you and the little ones.
You can make cooking, even more, fun by adding some art to it! I suggest buying funny shaped cookie molds or perhaps making a pizza with a smiley on it. Do something that your kid can see as fun and as his creation too. A preschooler might like to make some Shape Cookies.
#6. Go grocery shopping with them
Kids love going grocery shopping, but mostly because they run around the halls and tease each other. Make this activity less about running and messing around, and more about buying ingredients together and putting the lessons learned in the kitchen to good use.
If your kids just want to buy junk food, instead go shopping for specific ingredients you need for the recipe you picked out together. This way, they will learn the value of each food, and start liking more than just sugar! Grocery shopping is also a good way for them to start seeing the value of money, and the hard work that goes into making a meal.
The Next Best Chefs
Ready to give this a try? Remember, kids are kids, they will mess around, they wonít be organized or methodic, give yourself a break too, and relax. Have fun throughout the process but don’t forget your end goal: to make a meal they like and value.
I came up with these tips for teaching kids how to cook through experience, but if you have any more, please let me know. With time, your children will take the initiative in the kitchen, and who knows, maybe theyíll be the next best chefs you know.
-
-
-
-
-
anemptytextlline
-
anemptytextlline
-
-
-
-
-
-
anemptytextlline
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
