Cooking is a useful habit that can literally be life-saving in so many situations. Also, one doesn’t need to be a master chef in order to prepare simple, yet nutritious meals. However, in order to be an adult who cooks, it’s important to learn those habits in childhood. Now, that doesn’t mean actual cooking skills, but more normalization of cooking, especially when it comes to boys. But, girls should also benefit from this, so if you have kids, here are some tips on how to teach them some cooking.
Let them help
If you’re cooking regularly, then letting your kids take part might be of great help. Simply, kids enjoy doing things with adults, as they see them as role models. So if you’re cooking, chances are your kid will want and ask to help. Plus, doing this can help their motor skills, just to name some benefits. Next time, if that happens, make sure to let them give you a hand if it’s nothing that will actually do to make cooking faster or more efficient. Just enjoy the fact that your kid is interested in something, and use that experience to bond and have fun together.
Watch cooking content together
If your kid shows a proclivity for cooking, you can start watching some cooking content together. So it doesn’t matter if it’s a regular cooking TV show, or a YouTube video, as long as the kid is interested and wants to implement everything they’ve learned. But, keep in mind that this can only work, if you as a parent enjoy cooking, baking, and preparing foods. If that’s not your strong suit, then chances are, you won’t enjoy doing that with your kid either. There’s nothing wrong with not liking to cook, but in that case, let someone else (like a grandparent or another relative) teach your kid how to prepare food.
Teach your kid about various foods
If you want your kid to learn some cooking basics, then it’s important to teach them about different foods and their healthy properties. For example, as you’re peeling a carrot, tell them about how carrots are good for eyes and eyesight. If your kid loves nuts, or you enjoy cooking with nuts, you can tell them what is the healthiest nuts to eat, so they’ll have more knowledge that they can use in the future. The same goes for different types of meat, dairy products, and eggs. You can also show them a documentary about foods and healthy nutrition.
Go grocery shopping together
Usually, kids love shopping, as long as you’re the boss. Meaning, no temper tantrums, and unnecessary tears. Still, going grocery shopping can teach kids, not only about different foods and cooking ingredients but also about prices and the economy. Maybe grocery shopping is something you’d rather do quickly, but if you decide to take your kid, maybe you’ll actually have fun, so feel free to consider it, but only if you’re in the mood, and when you’re not in a hurry.
Remember to be patient
Adults tend to forget what it’s like to be a kid and learn things afresh. We often expect kids to do things exactly the way we do them, which can cause unnecessary pressure and self-esteem issues later in life. Therefore, rather than pushing them too far, make sure to be kind, considerate, and patient with them. Yes, waiting for too long might be frustrating, but if you’re teaching kids something, it’s important to do so without any negative feelings involved.
Conclusion
Teaching kids nutrition and cooking is a big deal, as it equips them with the vital information they’ll need when they grow up. Therefore, watching cooking content, shopping and asking them to help you are all important tips that will show any kid that cooking is fun and useful skill that they’ll benefit from.
