Step Away
- Once
they have the skill, don’t hover. As your trust in them grows so will
their confidence in the kitchen.
- Take
turns making dinner/lunch. I've noticed that my kids tend to want freedom
as they get older. Go figure right? One of the ways I satisfy that need
to by giving them a night to cook dinner. My eight-year-old isn't quite
ready for that, so I have him pack lunch for our trips to the water park.
Praise Their Efforts
- Even if it doesn't look pretty, or taste all that good, praising kids’ efforts will make cooking more enjoyable.
- Talk about what went wrong. Like the time my ten-year-old left out the baking powder and the muffins were like bricks. It was a great way for him to learn what baking powder does and he hasn't made the same mistake again.
Increase the
Challenge & Have Fun
- We grow bored of things that don’t challenge us on a regular basis, so continually increasing kids’ abilities by introducing new recipes or tools keeps them coming back for more.
- In the end, if you enjoy your time in the kitchen with them, kids will learn to enjoy their time in the kitchen too. We love to turn on music and dance while we cook, empty the dishwasher and sweep the floor. It doesn't happen every night, but it happens often enough that I hope my kids memories will be baked full of happy times learning and working together in the kitchen.
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