We can’t all be perfect. Some of us can cook well and some of us… well, not so much. Get some tips and ideas for how to teach your child to cook – even if you don’t.
I know it is intimidating to try to teach your child to cook if you know cooking isn’t your “thing.” Believe me, I understand.
I can barely follow a recipe. I grew up on rice, beans, and meat. Puerto Ricans don’t need to steer too far from that to be satisfied.
When it was time for me to cook other foods, I was pretty lost. So, teaching kids can bring about reluctancy in the best of us.
When it comes to cooking and teaching them to cook, one thing can help. If the recipe is simple enough a kid can make it, then you can make it. The pressure is off.
Training them on how to cook is more about helping them be comfortable in the kitchen. It’s about trying new things. It is about tackling fear and doing it regardless.
Some kids see the kitchen as a place where only mommy and daddy cook. Breaking that idea and helping them enter into the kitchen can be challenging for you both.
However, teaching your children how to cook doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need to make extravagant meals or even large meals.
Take a moment to check out a few ideas on how to teach your child to cook – even if you don’t.
1. First, things first. Teach safety.
Teach your kids safety in the kitchen. Let them know the rules, what can be done, and what can’t.
Teaching Knife Skills to Toddlers and Kids (Safety and Basics) | Happy Kids Kitchen
Food & Kitchen Safety Tips For Kids | Homeschool Hideout
2. Start small, think big.
Gradually teaching kids to cook is best. It can be quite overwhelming to have a young child with you while you read off a 20 ingredient list.
I am not saying they can’t help you cook a recipe. What I am saying is that letting your child help little by little will also help you feel better at what you are teaching.
Let them crack eggs or allow them to wash off the veggies. Exposure little by little will ease you both into teaching them to cook.
3. When they are ready, start with food they love.
We all like to reward ourselves. When teaching your kids to cook, they will be motivated to do so when they know they will be getting their favorite foods at the end.
4. Let go of being perfect.
Get ready for things to get messy and maybe make some mistakes. Chances are if you are tackling a recipe with your child (especially for the first time) there is bound to be a mistake or two.
Let that be OK. Let that bring smiles and laughter instead of negativity or failure. Remember to make cooking a good experience.
5. Learn together!
This will be a bonding experience for you both. Try new things, buy the ingredients together, and enjoy your quality time.
Carve out enough time to not make it stressful if it takes a little longer than planned. Remember that this is also a bonding experience for you both. Your kids won’t be in the home for long.
So, teach them to cook before they leave. Equip them, gradually, with what they need to cook for themselves and be independent. It also can help you out at home. More hands in the kitchen means more help. It is a win/win.
Giving your kids responsibility will always be beneficial for your children.
I couldn’t leave without providing you with some tools to help teach your kids to cook.
Explore the FREE tools below to teach your child to cook:
FREE Cooking Terminology Copywork
Why it’s Important To Teach Your Kids How To Cook
Cooking Challenges Make Learning to Cook Fun
FREE Kids in the Kitchen Printable Pack
Teach Kids to Bake with a Cooking Lapbook | Look We’re Learning
FREE Kids Printable Awards Certificate Templates for Other Kids Activities | CertificateTemplate.org
Creative Ideas for Allowing Your Kids to Help In The Kitchen | Thirty Hand Made Days
Cooking Unit Lessons and FREE Lapbook Printables | HomeschoolShare
FREE Kids Cooking Printables | Kids Cooking Activities
Stress-FREE Cooking with Toddlers and Kids: Recipes, Tips, and Activities | Your Kids Table
FREE Printable Meal Planner for Kids! | More Excellent Me
Cooking with Kids: Why It’s Worth The Mess (+12 kid-friendly recipes!) | Every Minute Mum
Kids in the Kitchen FREE Printables | Hip Homeschool Moms
5 Rules for Cooking with Kids by Kids | Mum in the Madhouse
How to Teach Kids to Cook Vegan | My Life Diversions
Adding Cooking to the Curriculum | Learning Mama
4 Easy Steps for Teaching Life Skills to Kids (FREE Life Skills by Age Printable) | Raising Kids with Purpose
There are arguments that cooking can actually make kids smarter. Why is this?
While you are teaching your kids to cook, they are also learning to following directions, to read practice math skills for measurements, and science in mixtures. The best knowledge they gain by cooking is the emotional benefit of spending time and learning from and learning with you.
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Jeannette is a wife, mother and homeschooling mom. She has been mightily, saved by grace and is grateful for God’s sovereignty throughout her life’s journey. She has a Bachelor in English Education and her MBA. Jeannette is bi-lingual and currently lives in the Tongan Islands of the South Pacific. She posts daily freebies for homeschoolers!
