Focus on Your Little Chef

Did you know that one of your child’s favorite activities could be cooking with you? Children love to follow their parents around the kitchen from the time that they are infants. As your child grows older, teaching them how to cook and bake can be a great way to introduce them to healthy eating habits. Additionally, you may teach a particularly gifted child the joy of cooking, which may turn into a profitable career some day.

When you first bring your toddler into the kitchen with you, be sure that you do not have any other obligations for at least a few hours. Children will take some time to get things just right around the kitchen, so block off two hours of your time to bake, or cook, with your child. Prior to beginning this lesson, make sure that you choose a recipe that is child friendly – if you are going to make cookies, prepare the dough first; if you are going to make bread, make sure that you do the mixing part. In short, be entirely sure that your child cannot get in harm’s way during any cooking session. Teaching your child basic food safety rule is a great idea (knives are sharp, ovens are hot, mixers can be dangers, don’t mix meat with vegetables…). Also, go ahead and make sure that you are setting a good hygiene example by washing your hands, washing the counter, and picking up as you go along.

Cooking with your child can be a lot of fun once you begin to show them the difference between certain ingredients and measurements. Allow your child to measure out ingredients that you have set before them, but don’t expect them to get it right the first time (even if those cookies don’t come out just right, your child will still love them!).  If your child is old enough, go ahead and show them the settings on the stove, allow them to use the mixer, and teach them how to follow a recipe – just make sure that they are well past the toddler stage if you are going to do any of these things. Never underestimate the power of cooking and baking – soon enough, you will have an avid little chef on your hands.