How to Teach Your Kids About Cooking and When to Start

As a parent, it can seem like there are endless life skills and lessons that you want to be able to pass on to your children. Teaching them how to be in tune with their emotions, take care of themselves in a healthy way, and make good decisions for them are the goals of every parent. But how is that accomplished? Well, it starts with small lessons from a young age which you can then build on, that will help to not only instill knowledge in your kids but confidence too.

One life lesson that you can start to teach pretty early on in life is how to cook and make healthy food choices. You may be thinking your child is far too young to learn, but in reality, as soon as they hit the toddler years, they can start helping out, and you can start to teach them.

Here are some simple ways you can start to teach your kids about cooking.

No Job is Too Small to Help With

When you think about teaching kids how to cook, often you think of the big picture, i.e., making a full meal, but in reality, that’s not the best way to start. Ideally, you want to get them in the kitchen at a young age just helping with small and simple jobs. For example, they could do the stirring, pouring ingredients into a mixing bowl, and helping to get ingredients out, and you can allow them to smell and even taste the different ingredients.

Don't Make It Seem Like a Chore

Half of the battle in teaching kids any life skill - not just cooking - is to not make it seem like a chore. You want to keep the mood fun and light so that they actually want to be there, and their mind is open to learning.

Choose Recipes that Would Spark Their Interest

Sometimes, asking your child to come and help make a meal is going to result in nothing but an argument, but what if it’s a meal that is different and interesting to them? Why not branch out of your norm and choose recipes from different cuisines that introduce them to new ingredients, flavours, and methods of preparation.

At compasscooks.com, you can sign up for a subscription box that offers meals from around the world, which can be a fabulous learning opportunity for kids. When it’s in the form of a subscription box, you won’t even have to worry about finding all the ingredients. Before you know it, your kids may be developing an interest in some really unique and exotic cuisines and dishes.

Teach Them About the Proper Terminology

Sure, you may be tempted to give things cute names in the kitchen, but this won't help kids down the road. Teaching them about the proper terminology early on will ensure they can read recipes and have success.

An On-Going Lesson

When it comes to cooking, it’s not just a matter of doing it a few times, and then they have the hang of it; rather, it is about starting with the basics and then continually building from there. Before you know it, your child may become the resident home chef.