Children are naturally curious, and have a strong desire to emulate the grown-ups in their life.
For the young child, time spent in the kitchen provides a wealth of opportunities to learn, discover and fine-tune motor skills. Aside from increasing exposure to different foods and flavors, the responsibilities and satisfaction that come along with participating fully in family mealtimes help to set that child up to become a confident, self-sufficient adult in the kitchen. My daughter started “helping” in the kitchen when she was 18 months old, doing small tasks like grating (with supervision), mixing and setting the table.
As children grow older, our time with them typically becomes more limited, and time spent preparing dinner together can play an important role in fostering connection between kids and their grown-ups. Moreover, many older children – even teens – jump at the opportunity to make a meal for their families, thereby learning valuable lessons about time management, grocery budgeting and the hard work that preparing a meal and cleaning requires.
Grow it!
Just as involving children in cooking new foods makes them more likely to try those foods when they sit down to dinner, getting kids into the garden dramatically increases their propensity to try fresh vegetables and fruits. Nothing compares to the sense of accomplishment a child feels when she has helped plant, water, harvest, clean and cook something that graces the family table.
Families that lack the space, time or knowledge to grow gardens at home can still enjoy the satisfaction of growing and harvesting their own food by taking advantage of the various community gardens throughout Springfield. Check out growspringfield.org for location information.
Get messy
Cooking is messy, and adding kids into the mix makes it even more so. Accepting that some mess will be part of the process will help kids and adults alike enjoy their time in the kitchen. That being said, you can minimize the mess with a few tricks:
• Follow the example of professional chefs and gather all your ingredients before you start to cook. This saves time and keeps things better organized.
• When appropriate, cover your work surface with a plastic tablecloth or newspaper, and have paper towels and a damp washcloth at the ready for wiping sticky hands.
Be choosy
When working with kids in the kitchen, it’s important to be clear on your objective. Are you there to create a stunning dish that will impress your family and friends, or are you there to have fun with your kid and enroll them in the daily ritual and mealtime? They are not always mutually exclusive, but knowing your objective from the start is helpful in framing expectations. Involving kids in the kitchen during the preparation of an important meal can be stressful and counterproductive. When my daughter was 2, I let her help make the pies for Thanksgiving. I turned my back for a couple of minutes, only to find her noshing on my perfect pie crusts, which were cooling on the rack. That kitchen “collaboration” ended with a mommy meltdown and a tearful toddler. Bottom line: choose your parent-child kitchen opportunities carefully. Now, when I have a “high stakes” dish to make, I make sure I can focus on the dish, and save the kid kitchen collaborations for times when the pressure is off.
Start small
Children can start “helping” in the kitchen as soon as they can sit up and begin to use their pincer grips. Give a small baby in a high chair some lettuce to tear up while you make salad. Let an older baby pour dry rice from one bowl into another and practice mixing with a wooden spoon. When children reach about two years, they can begin to take on a more active role. Obviously children should be supervised in the kitchen at all times. Have them help set and clear the table, tear lettuces and greens, wash and dry produce with a salad spinner, mix batter, cut soft fruits and vegetables (like strawberries and mushrooms) with a butter knife, cut out cookies or biscuits with a biscuit cutter, crack eggs and measure ingredients.
Older children, generally ages 5 and up, once equipped with some basic cooking skills and an understanding of kitchen rules, can begin to take on more complex tasks. These include using hand tools such as a can opener, garlic press or grater, peeling fruits and veggies, scrambling eggs, assembling and frying grilled cheese sandwiches and quesadillas, rolling out cookie and pie dough, and using small sharp paring knives (again, under supervision).
Preteens (ages 9 and up) are usually ready to begin learning about basic food safety and how to use appliances like the stove, oven and blender. Once they and their parents achieve a certain comfort level using knives and standard kitchen appliances, they are ready to expand their culinary capabilities. Children at this age can begin reading and making recipes for muffins, quick breads and soups, cutting vegetables, kneading dough, taking foods in and out of the oven and using small appliances like stand mixers and food processors.
Teenagers may need less supervision and can begin to prepare some foods themselves, as well as take an active role in family meal planning and shopping. This is an excellent time to educate your child on how to read nutrition information and evaluate food labels. Activities like grilling meats, pan frying, making sauces and cleaning appliances like the stove and grill are all good responsibilities for teenage cooks. Of course, your teen will initially need your supervision and guidance as they learn to master these skills.
Ultimately, keep in mind your ultimate objectives when you’re with kids in the kitchen. Allowing kids to take part in the daily preparation of meals is one of the most effective ways to help them master the skills necessary to make healthy lifestyle choices as adults.
Ashley Meyer, food columnist for Illinois Times, is executive chef for genH kids.
This article appears in Capital City Parent May 2016.
