How To Cook With Kids In The Kitchen

My kids have been in the kitchen with me since they could set up; my 10-year-old son was the best egg cracker by the time he was two and could crack an egg with one hand at age 3. Every year for school teacher always wants my kids to write a paper or story about the same favorite holiday memories and, without fail, consistently bring home a report from the kitchen. Suck as X-mas pizza or ginger bead home, or making cookies for older people at our church and doing secret Santa.

Having kids in the kitchen can be a bit daunting when trying to get something done, and there are so many dangers, but I feel the benefits far outweigh the trouble.

Why Have kids helped you cook?

For picky eaters, this might solve the problem. Kids that help cook the meal or more likely to eat it. If they feel they made it and had control over what went in it ( even if they don't), they will eat it or eat more of it without the fight. It is also an excellent way to get them to try something new.

Kids that help cook even just twice a week have higher Self Esteem. By cooking, they feel they did something and did it well, and with parents giving them praise for it, then no matter what is going on at school or with their life, they know when they get home, there is something they are good at.

Passing on traditions is another huge reason to have kids in the kitchen with you. Some, at some point in your life, had to teach you that family cake recipe or stew. Now it is time to prepare your kids what made grandma's dumpling so fluffy that it is not on the recipe card. If you don't, then who will?

Life skills and cooking is part of life for men and women. Going out to eat every day or eating quick boxed food is not healthy, but if your child knows how to cook, then when they leave home, they can correct and save money on food. The last reason to get kids in the kitchen is tradition.

Traditions bring the family closer together and have fawn memories with them. Like our X-mas pizza is silly as it is, we all look forward to it every year. It came about after my second son was born. I usually made a big X-mas dinner, but that year, with a three-year-old, a 1-year-old, and a new baby, I was just too tired, so I had stuff for a homemade pizza; I set my two most aged kids on the counter bought out the pizza stuff, and we each made our pizza. They loved it and thought it was the coolest thing. After the pizza was done cooking, they even left their new toys to sit down and eat. Now we make it every year; we have made all kinds of crazy pizza together and to this day one of their favorite things to do.

Food holds emotions and thoughts of the past. How often have you walked into a house where something was cooking and was taken back to grandma's house or something unique your mom used to make? Your kids will have the same thing, only thoughts of you and them in the kitchen to gather. It would be something that not only outlives you but something they will pass down to their kids.

How you get your kids in the kitchen with you will depend on their age. Be safe about it, Don't let younger kids around heat or knives. Get them their things, like one blunt plastic knife to cut with a plastic cutting board, plastic bowls, and plates to microwave with, and you stay by them the whole time; a child that can sit up can stir a bowl for cake.

But most of all, I don't think it will be perfect if your two or 3-year-old breaks an egg and gets a shell in it; it is OK. Just fish it out and say good job, you do it. Reward them, talk to them, and have a good time. That is what it is all about.

I love to make Brownie pizza with my kids. It is a lot of fun, and they can help make it. I'm sure you and your kids will get a kick out of it.