from Stuff Every Mom Should Know by Heather Gibbs Flett and Whitney Moss
At some point between birth and leaving your house for the big bad real world, children need to learn to cook a few things. By involving them in simple steps of food preparation, you’ll set them on the path to never going hungry.
Tips:
- Make sure you have enough time. Not every mealtime is the ideal co-cooking experience. Having company over? Need a perfect soufflé? Pick a different day.
- Create a safe environment. A misshapen pizza or lumpy meatloaf is still edible. Don’t sweat imperfection. Support the process by aiming low so no one’s disappointed. And remember to keep smiling.
- Invite input. Does your child want to add olives to lemonade? That’s a great idea—in his own glass. Encourage suggestions for flavor combinations. If the food doesn’t taste great, talk about what might have happened so you can both learn. Is it too salty? Too spicy? Help your child develop tastes as well as opinions.
Kitchen tasks for kids:
-Break an egg.
Have your child do this into a small bowl first so you can more easily fish out broken shells or discard a bad egg without ruining the dish.
-Measure and dump.
For baking projects, use an intermediate bowl if your child is less than accurate.
-Whisk and stir.
Introduce the whisk and wooden spoon early in your child’s life and prevent your own carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Tear lettuce.
Your child can own the salad by washing, drying, and ripping lettuce leaves.
-Spread the goo.
A safe spreading knife can handle butter, hummus, peanut butter, jelly, and a lot more!
-Set and clear.
Give your child the job of setting and clearing the table to teach him that these tasks don’t just happen by themselves.
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