Home Cooking with Kids

When I was a little girl, one of the best memories I had was working in the kitchen with my grandmother and my mother. Starting at a young age I would help by measuring ingredients and eventually helping with the other parts of preparing meals. It was great working with my grandma and mom, and it is something that I have never forgotten throughout my life. I have tried to share these moments with my kids as well. Starting at an early age I have gradually introduced them to cooking and since they don’t seem to be rebelling too much, I will continue until they aren’t interested anymore.

One of the biggest things I have tried to get across to my kids is that cooking can be fun, but also needs to be taken seriously. The kitchen can be a very dangerous place while cooking. Things such as using sharp cutting implements can cause some serious cuts if not being careful. You also need to be cautious when using ovens and stoves. You need to make sure you use oven mitts when putting in and taking out items and be careful not to have your skin touch oven parts or else you could sustain burns. Also, when working with stove burners you need to make sure you don’t have anything nearby that is flammable, so to prevent fires.

Another serious concern around the kitchen is dealing with germs. When dealing with kids and cooking in the kitchen, it is important to teach them about proper cleaning when working with food. Surfaces that touch raw meat, fish and poultry could be contaminated and need to be cleaned with an antibacterial cleaner. When dealing with eggs you should also be sure that surfaces be cleaned properly.

The important part about working with kids in the kitchen is to get them involved. The more they are involved in cooking the more interest they will show, and the more they will continue to be interested. Begin slowly with the basics and eventually increase the complexity of the tasks so that the kids can do small things on their own. Eventually, they will want to cook more and more, and prepare dinner for you. Need a start in getting your kids interested in cooking? Here are a few helpful websites: