Let’s face it, one of the most basic and useful life skills there is cooking. If you can manage to teach your kids to cook, then you’ll set them up for success as adults. However, getting them as motivated to cook as they are to eat may not always be that simple. Kids can get easily distracted, and sometimes it’s way more fun tasting the final product than doing the actual work that it takes to create it. Fear not, parents— we’ve got you covered. Here are some of the best tips for teaching your kids to love cooking as much as you do.
Patience is a Virtue
One of the most important lessons that cooking can teach your child is the value of patience. Patience is an important part of the quality of whatever food you create. Teach your child to respect cooking times as well as cooling methods. The amount of time that you let something cool and the way that you cool it off can play a significant role in the overall outcome, so remind them that rushing can be disastrous in the kitchen! No one wants to eat a soggy cake!
Give Age-Appropriate Jobs
The jobs that you’re going to give your 12-year-old are not necessarily the same jobs that you’re going to give your 3-year-old in the kitchen. Give everyone their own job so that no one feels left out. Younger children can be given something simple like throwing empty packaging into the garbage can or handing you a spatula. Some things require more coordination and delicacy than others, so don’t make the mistake of giving a delicate task to a younger child who could potentially epically fail their mission. set them up for success!
Choose Recipes Together
Choosing recipes together can be a fun way to come up with different ideas for what you want to create together. Not to mention, it’s a lot more fun to eat something that you choose to create yourself. Ideally, you should choose recipes that are fairly easy for if you feel like you’re unfamiliar with the recipe then it could be challenging for you to explain the steps to your child.
Choose something that’s easy to understand and execute so that you don’t get frazzled trying to follow the recipe yourself. The idea is to have fun together, not get upset with your kids or stressed because you don’t understand the recipe.
Make it Fun
Don’t forget to make it fun. Put on music, dip your finger in ingredients, and dance around the kitchen! Don’t take yourself too seriously and enjoy the process! Above all, enjoy the final step of eating your creation!
