By Jill McDonough
There are so many reasons why you need to teach your kids to cook. It’s a very important life skill, it helps kids appreciate the work their parents do, it expands kids’ palates, making meals boosts their confidence, cooking reinforces math and even chemistry, understanding a recipe improves reading comprehension, different cultures can be enjoyed, and more!
One of jobs as moms is to prepare our kids for the real world and to live on their own. I want my kids to thrive in the real world. This will require me to make sure my kids will make more than spaghetti and ramen when they’re on their own.
Does the idea of teaching your kids to cook scare you? Do you picture an absolute mess in the kitchen that will take days to clean?
Well, what if you reframed your thinking and thought how teaching your kids to properly use the equipment will pretty much guarantee that the scene above won’t happen in your kitchen?
Also, once your kids know how to cook, they can have a designated night to make the meal.
Read: free time for you.
But seriously, teaching your kids to create healthy meals can save them from many diet-related diseases that are becoming more and more popular in young adults. Kidney stones, gout, gall bladder issues, and more can possibly be avoided if your future young adult kids can eat well-balanced meals.
So how do you start teaching your kids to cook?
First, let them hang out with you in the kitchen while you’re cooking.
I picked up so much from just watching my mom. I noticed how she held various foods while cutting them. I saw that she had specific tools she preferred for certain jobs.
Second, while hanging out during cooking time, sprinkle in little teaching tips.
For example, when you put the dry spaghetti in the boiling water you can say, “You always want to stir pasta at first or it sticks together.”
When you are sautéing onions you could say, “Did you know that you can tell that onions are cooked once they’re see-through or translucent like these are?”
Get the idea? Your kids will also ask questions as they are naturally curious.
Third, give your kids a few little jobs in the kitchen.
Have them stir something for you or grate the cheese. Even little ones can feel important by watching the timer and letting mommy know when it’s almost done.
Fourth, move to having them walk through creating an entire, easy entrée.
Have them do as many of the steps as they can, teaching along the way.
Optional Step: Re-write the night’s recipe in a way your kids will understand it and with some additional information they made need.
I cut and paste my already-typed recipes into a Word document. I then add some details such as “turn the burner to 7” or very specific to our family such as “use Mom’s blue bowl for this.”
Then, I save these recipes for the next time they will cook until I can take the “training wheels” off and let them see how the original recipe was written. By then, they have cooked the meal a few times and can handle the more concise directions.
Fifth and final step, choose a night for your child to re-create that same meal, but on their own.
I would strongly suggest you still being in the kitchen, but you can appear to be doing something else. You will not only make them relax a bit with you there, but you can also help with hot or heavy items. You can also point out lovingly if they seem to be doing something completely wrong.
I went through all of these steps with my kids. Using their own curiosity made this easy. I also enjoy their company so it was fun to share dinner prep time with them.
Since there are also great breakfast and lunch dishes out there, rotate and have your kids be in charge of those meals too.
Need some more great recipes that kids can actually cook themselves? Here is my growing list of tried-and-true recipes that my children make for our family. These are EASY but healthy meals.
Would a great cookbook for kids inspire them? (You can even consider it like a textbook and see what you would like your child to learn.)
A great starter cookbook is The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs: 100+ Recipes That You’ll Love to Cook and Eat by America’s Test Kitchen Kids. This cookbook writes out the recipes with very clear instructions that new chefs will need.
Here is an example of their detailed recipe for Avocado Toast with Fried Eggs:
Avocado Toast with Fried Eggs (ingredients, equipment, instructions)
Serves 2; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes
Instructions:
1. In small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon oil, lemon juice, pinch salt, and pinch pepper.
2. Use butter knife to cut avocado in half. Separate halves, then remove and discard pit. Scoop avocado into bowl with lemon dressing; discard skin. Use fork to break avocado into large pieces, then mash into dressing until mostly smooth.
3. Place bread in toaster and toast until golden on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread avocado mixture evenly on toasts.
4. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil over low heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, crack eggs into second small bowl and add pinch salt and pinch pepper.
5. Increase heat to medium-high and heat oil for 1 minute (oil should be hot but not smoking). Working quickly, pour eggs into skillet, cover skillet, and cook for 1 minute.
6. Turn off heat and slide skillet to cool burner. Let sit, covered, for about 1 minute for slightly runny yolks or about 2 minutes for set yolks.
7. Use spatula to transfer 1 fried egg to each toast. Serve.
Could you kids handle those directions? Remember, it’s completely fine if you make the recipe with your child until they can do it on their own.
Lastly, how about some cute aprons? Kids just love to have their own gear!
Time to get those kids cooking! Trust me, you will NEVER regret teaching them to cook.
Need some more ideas for your homeschool? Check out my ever growing list of Homeschool Resources.
