cooking with your child

Some time ago, we’ve shared an article about 8 reasons why kids should cook. We’re really happy to hear that some parents are starting to do so. However, some are sharing how stressful the experience was – disobeying children, messy kitchen, tasteless food etc – or the parents will end up cooking all the dishes.

Despite all our good intentions, young children may not understand and appreciate the things we do for them. And as a fellow parent dealing with a 3.5 years old boy, it is important to manage YOUR expectations when it comes to cooking with kids. There’s no need to get frustrated with the mess, nor the fact that the cut vegetables turned up looking like Frankenstein pieces. The process of cooking together is all about turning on their different senses.

Here are five simple tips to get you started.

1. Keep the mood light.

Kitchens brim with potentially dangerous equipment. From hot stoves to sharp knives, there’s plenty around to make you nervous — but steel yourself. Kids can read anxiety, and if you’re not relaxed, they won’t be either. Supervise them closely and be aware of hazards, but proceed anyway, with an upbeat voice and smiling eyes.

2. Strike a deal.

Kids take to new learning opportunities best when they have a stake in the outcome, so make them part of the process. If they want to make cookies, let them. But the next lesson is yours to choose. Alternate between treats and more healthful, everyday fare, from cookies and pies to salads and smoothies.

3. Don’t neglect terminology.

Kids are blank slates, and words like fold, sear, and sauté are meaningless until properly defined. You can use easier words if you like, but why bother? Mastering a new lexicon is part of skill-building; plus, kids are sponges when it comes to language acquisition. Soon they’ll be bandying about new words like natives. (“Mom, can I go sauté up and down on your bed?”)

4. Dig deeper.

Teaching kids to cook also presents opportunities to talk about culture, family history, nutrition, food politics, and hunger. Depending on your child’s age, consider sprinkling your lessons with gentle forays into these deeper waters, avoiding heavy-handed moralizing but introducing your kids to some of the broader issues surrounding food. You’re not just educating a future cook; you’re influencing a lifelong eater.

5. Keep your eye on the prize.

Your ultimate goal is not the creation of restaurant-quality dishes, but boosting your child’s self-esteem and encouraging their burgeoning independence. If, at the end of your lessons, you’ve got a happy kid who’s excited to spend time in the kitchen, you’ve done your job, and done it well.

(with tips from Cheryl Sternman Rule, a food writer in San Jose, California)