One way to encourage kids who are fussy eaters is to ask them to help in food preparation.The kitchen is a great place to spend some time with your kids and it makes cooking an enjoyable experience, it's like a bonding session. My daughter spend a lot of time helping me in the kitchen, now she is taking food technology as her elective subject in high school and she has introduce me to new recipes and ingredients that she learned from school.

Taking your kids to the kitchen does not only teach them to cook but it is also an opportunity to teach them to follow simple instructions, basic mathematics, cleaning up and knowing food names and ingredients.

You don't need to be a master chef to teach your kids to have fun in the kitchen and there are lot of recipes that are surprisingly easy for the kids to do. Cooking is both rewarding and fun, but it does demand a certain degree of care and caution. As a parent it is important that your child learn the basic kitchen skills, hygiene and safety when preparing food at home.

It is important that parents should lay down kitchen rules for the safety of everyone and to help kids find their way around the kitchen.

The rules below are basic kitchen rules; parents can modify it to suit the needs of the family.

1. Never run in the kitchen.
2. Never touch anything electrical with wet hands.
3. Keep handles of pots and pans on the stovetop turned to the side. If they are sticking out at the front, you may knock them and have a horrid accident.
4. Be careful with knives. A sharp knife is actually safer than a blunt one; blunt knives are more likely to slip and hurt you.
5. Never use a blender, naked flame or knife without adult supervision.
6. Always use oven gloves or potholders for hot items such as pans, baking trays, opening the oven.
7. Make sure you turn everything off once you have finished.
8. Keep the kitchen bench and the rest of the work area clean and tidy as you go. A mess is distracting.
9. Take care when removing the lid of a container after you take it out the microwave oven. Always lift the cover so that the steam is released as far away from your face and hands as possible.
10. Do not put your face near the oven when opening it, as the heat will blush out and make your flustered and pink !!!

Always "PAY ATTENTION." Bad cooking is not about ignorance or lack of talent but it is about carelessness. And Remember: Always ask an adult for help, if you are not sure what to do.

1. First wash your hands with soap in warm water and dry them on a clean towel before handling food.
2. Clear plenty of space, making sure all work tops are clean.
3. Put your apron and tie your hair back.
4. Read the recipe you have chosen all the way through to make sure that you know what you are going to do. Make sure you have all the ingredients
5. Assemble your ingredients you are going to need.
6. Measure all the ingredients, use measuring cup or spoons. Put them in small bowls or saucers...
7. Get all the utensils you need e.g. sauce pan, spatula etc.

The most important thing to remember is that cooking is about trial and error so don't give up if it goes wrong.

Now you are ready to cook. READY ---- SET----- COOK