There are few activities I enjoy more than cooking: transforming the simple into the delicious.
Unfortunately, there are two minor setbacks to attaining my bliss every single night: 1) my children do not like to eat anything interesting 2) this seems to be the most chaotic time of day – everyone is hungry, wound up and tired.
So I have two options: I can turn on a show and throw together a quick, boring meal (the easy, peaceful choice) or I can engage them in the process of making dinner.
In the spirit of “Unplug and Play” week, I am challenging myself to choose the latter.
Cooking with your kids has many benefits: it provides time for connection, improves the odds that they will try new, nutritious foods and teaches them invaluable life skills.
This noble goal has only one problem: initially, cooking with kids is messy, inefficient and sometimes stressful. But like most skills in life, time invested today provides benefit later.
As your kids gain proficiency in the kitchen, they become more helpful until finally they are making up their own recipes! Like any skill, cooking requires practice before it becomes easy or enjoyable.
So how can we engage our children in the kitchen?
• Take a deep breath. This is supposed to be fun: let go of your perfectionist or micromanager tendencies. Allow your kids to explore, learn from their mistakes and try again.
• Start small – try an easy recipe on a weekend when you are not rushed or stressed.
• Involve kids in the recipe selection and shopping. If they have input into the menu, they will be more inclined to participate.
• Review basic safety – wash hands, knife safety, dangers of hot stoves. Comfort around appropriate tasks for different ages will vary with each parent.
I let my five-year-old chop vegetables, but assign my two-year-old tasks like tearing lettuce or cracking eggs (yes, I have eaten a few little pieces of shell)
• Have them take part in the clean-up too.
As an alternative to “plugging your kids in,” try cooking with them. Cooking can inspire creativity, responsibility, patience and persistence.
Raising a child with confidence in the kitchen is probably the best thing you can do to support a lifetime of healthy eating habits. In chaotic moments, remember your longterm vision: sleeping in Saturday morning, with your kids bringing you Eggs Benny in bed!