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For those who grew up helping their parents in the kitchen, now is a great time to pass it on. Cooking with one’s kids enriches learning and teaches significant life lessons.
Kitchen involvement can start at any age. Even babies can get something out of it. As the parent goes from task to task, babies learn new smells and movements.
Once kids get a little older, they can put on an apron and join in. Cooking and baking involve many menial tasks that are monotonous for adults but exciting for kids. Stirring ingredients is a classic task that most kids love. Washing, counting and pouring ingredients are also good activities that improve math and motor skills. Even if they’re not interested in participating yet, encourage them to watch.
Cooking can be very involved, so it’s important to keep tasks age-appropriate. Overly challenging tasks will only discourage kids. The kitchen shouldn’t be a space for stress or risk; it should be fun! The older that kids are, the more involved they can be. They’ll graduate to cracking eggs, peeling vegetables, and eventually, cooking on their own.
In the kitchen, kids develop good habits like cleaning up after themselves and washing their hands well. The biggest outcome of kitchen time as a kid is building healthy habits. As they take on more responsibility in the kitchen, they learn responsible eating.
Parents know fruits and vegetables are important, but kids tend to be picky eaters. In a study published in 2020 by Dr. Fiona M. Asigbee, a researcher who focuses on children’s nutrition, Asigbee and her team found that cooking with family allows kids to see and work with vegetables and fruits often, which resulted in a higher vegetable and fruit intake.
When in the kitchen, kids need to maintain safe cooking practices. If they’re eager to help with an unsafe task, see if it can be child-proofed before turning them down. For example, if a kid really wants to help by cutting vegetables, they can try out a plastic knife or even a crinkle cutter to practice. Or, if a recipe requires an electric mixer that a kid isn’t ready to operate, it’s okay to let them mix it with a fork for a while before a responsible adult switches to the electric mixer. It may feel redundant, but any opportunity to participate is worthwhile to them.
Kids are often curious about how the meals they love are made, so encouraging them to help cook their favorite dinners or family recipes is a good way to build engagement. You may also want to check out cooking classes and demonstrations at the Westerville Public Library and Westerville Community Center.
Grace Heberling is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
