These past couple of weeks has been extremely stressful with finals, deadlines and work; there is just so much going on. So much has been going on that I have not been relying on one of my favorite relaxation activities: cooking with my 4 year old daughter. I know to many people that sounds more like a headache and huge mess to clean—nothing about that says relaxation. On the contrary, cooking with your children can be an extremely relaxing and fun filled activity that can give those lifelong values and lessons that are invaluable. There are many benefits to cooking with children that too many people are not aware of. You can teach a child how to cook for themselves, create something of their own—which builds confidence, you can teach them how to eat healthy, and even the pickiest of picky eaters (like my daughter) will eat food that they helped prepare.
My 4 year old daughter is a whiz kid. Nothing that she becomes interested in surprises me anymore. When she caught the love bug for cooking, I was happy. I personally never really cared for it much until I had a family of my own, but cooking is a big deal in my family. My father is a chef, his mother was a chef, his sisters could be a chef and my Nana is a culinary genius. The love of cooking is engraved in my daughter’s genes. At first I was apprehensive of letting her help me cook, the mess, her getting in the way and slowing me down were all concerns that I had. They all quickly left my mind when I saw how much pride she was taking in preparing food, and that smile, who can resist their child’s ear to ear smile? Every time I am in the kitchen cooking she is right there with me helping in any way that she can. I never would have thought that something like cooking with my toddler would become my relaxation and something that I look forward to, but it has. I know that I am building an unbreakable bond that will have positive effects in her life for years to come.
I started teaching my daughter how to cook when she was almost 3 years old. She would always ask me a thousand questions when I was cooking—she was clearly interested. What really pushed me to let her really cook with me was her pickiness. My daughter gets a lot of habits from me and being a picky eater is one of them. After searching for tips on how to get picky eating children how to eat more food, I found that children are more likely to eat food that they help make. I also wanted her to know what food to eat. Explain to her what is healthy eating and let her taste different fruits and vegetables. Susan Moores, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, says “For one thing, cooking with your kids can help get them interested in trying healthy foods they might normally turn their noses up at. I have seen this happen countless times.”
Before we cook anything, we always go shopping together. I teach her how to pick out different fruits and vegetables; I show her what to look for. She is involved in every step of the way from food shopping to cutting ingredients (with a plastic knife). Teaching her how to prepare different meals with different ingredients is priceless. It has definitely helped her with her pickiness and helped her figure out what she likes, and she is more open to trying new things. My daughter takes pride in her preparing, cooking and presenting her meals. Italian chef Lidia Bastianich, author of "Lidia's Family Table" writes, “In the end, let your child know that he or she really helped you; then serve the dish for the rest of your family to enjoy, and have the child explain how it was made. They are really very proud of their product."
Self-esteem building, quality time, math skills, communication skills, confidence and hard work are some of the values that children can take away from lending a helping hand in the kitchen. At first I was apprehensive about it, because I was scared of the possible mess. It is well worth it. Also a tip to parents, get your child a kid sized table where they can work. It helps to minimize the messes.
According to the CDC, in 2012 more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. Teaching your child how to cook the right foods at a young age is a key factor in helping to prevent your children from that same fate. Below is a great video that Kids in the House put together with Eco Dad Steven Kiralla, where he goes into more detail about some of the great benefits of cooking with your children.
