5 Reasons Why You Should Teach Your Kids How to Cook

How often have your little ones innocently asked you, “What’s for dinner?” While it might seem amusing considering their age, wouldn’t it be refreshing if, just once, you turned the tables and asked them, “What’s for dinner?” Whether you’re an enthusiastic cook who enjoys preparing meals as a hobby or a reluctant cook who only gets into the kitchen when necessary, introducing your young kids to the world of cooking is a valuable endeavor.

Certainly, toddlers and early primary school children won’t be whipping up gourmet meals, but instilling some basic cooking knowledge and skills at this early stage can set the foundation for a lifetime of culinary competence. It’s not about expecting them to prepare elaborate dishes; rather, it’s about nurturing their interest and understanding of food and its preparation. So, even though they won’t be master chefs, teaching your kids how to cook from a young age can be a valuable and enjoyable experience. Here are some more reasons why you should introduce your little ones to the joys of cooking.

It Can Be a Time for Bonding

Cooking takes time, giving you a lot of room to teach your kid basic cooking skills in the kitchen. It can be enjoyable for them as we all know that children like to copy their parents. They could also feel joy knowing they are helping their parents prepare meals.

You could even make it educational for them as you can sing alphabet songs or even ask them the colours of food items. Not only that, you could also have them open up about their day in school or even about their feelings about specific topics. You can do so much as you wait for the food to cook.

Cooking is a Great Way to Build Confidence

As we all know, cooking requires a lot of confidence. Even the smallest kitchen skills, like cutting with a knife, require confidence since you need a steady hand. One way you can do this is to encourage your kid, especially when they want to try something new in the kitchen.

For example, if they are interested in baking, you can have a creative kitchen play with My Happy Helpers’ baking sets for practice first. Then, you can let them bake their cake once they have mastered the process. You could also do some exercises, like guessing if a piece of meat has been cooked or if the seasoning is enough for the taste. In short, cooking is a great activity that you can use to build confidence in your kids.

It’s an Important Life Skill

As adults, many of us have experienced the transition to independent living, even if it’s during our college years, unless we had roommates. However, once college is behind them, young adults are thrust into the world of self-sufficiency, and this transition is a significant milestone in their lives.

Now, when it comes to little ones, teaching them essential life skills early on can be just as crucial. Even at their tender age, instilling the idea of self-reliance and independence can lay the foundation for their future development. While they won’t be living alone just yet, they can begin to understand the basics, such as tidying up their toys and, yes, even helping out in the kitchen.

Cooking, although in its simplest form, can be a valuable skill for youngsters. It’s not about expecting them to prepare meals independently right away, but rather introducing them to the idea that they can contribute to meal preparation and gain a sense of accomplishment from it. After all, as they grow older, the ability to cook simple meals can be a valuable asset when they eventually find themselves living more independently.

Sadly, many young adults struggle to cook anything beyond noodles and boiled eggs when they are on their own, and that’s why teaching your child how to prepare straightforward dishes can help set them on a path towards a healthier and more self-sufficient future.

It’s a Good Time to Teach Them About Health

You are what you eat; most of the time, it can be accurate, but not literally. Food is an essential aspect of health, and what better place to teach your kids about health than the kitchen? As they help you with meals and prepare the table, you can teach them about health, like how they shouldn’t miss any meals for the day or how junk foods can be bad for their health.

One good technique you can do this with is to know some health facts about each ingredient and tell them about it. If they’re helping you cut up some carrots, you can tell them how they contain B vitamins that are good for their skin, muscles, and hair. If they are helping you cook chicken, you can tell them that chicken is a good source of iron, which can benefit their blood.

Cooking Can Teach Them Math

One constant thing in cooking is how everything should be measured perfectly. Once you make a mistake in measuring ingredients, the food will turn out wrong. You can use this aspect in cooking to teach your kids about maths.

For example, you can teach them how to convert measurements into fractions and vice versa. You could also teach them how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit.  If your kid is not old enough for conversion, you could use a simpler way to teach them maths. 

For example, you can teach them about addition and subtraction when determining how many teaspoons of sugar they need for a banana cake or even let them count how many carrots they should put in a vegetable meal. 

Cooking is a basic skill every person needs to learn regardless of age and gender. If you want your kid to be able to cook for themself in the future, then what better time to teach them about cooking than now? Cooking has many aspects that you can use for educational purposes, and if you’re looking for bonding time with your kid, this activity is perfect.