We often find that these days few young adults can’t cook much more than boiling water if they even know how to do that. There are people who would blame this on the person’s lackadaisical attitude. However, I would like to argue that this may be perhaps that they never were introduced to cooking when they were younger.
I have discovered that a lot of my classmates don’t even know how to do simple cooking, such as cooking eggs or boiling pasta, which is a shame. Because this is not just simply about not being able to cook. This is about being an independent adult and what that means.
Kids are being sent off to college completely unprepared for independent living, and cooking is just one of the skills that are being neglected. And to be honest, I consider cooking a pretty important skill. Not only does cooking mean you don't have to keep ordering take-out or some disgusting variety of fast-food, but you can learn to cook healthier, and honestly, better-tasting foods. It also means that you can function in society as an actual adult.
So, if you are not fully convinced, I have some reasons as to why people should be learning to cook much sooner.
1. How many people have complained about dining services before?
See? Case in point. A lot of people tend to say that the food is disgusting, but they don’t even know how to cook their own meat. Knowing how to cook provides people with another option. Instead of going to the cafeteria, ordering take-out or going to a fast-food joint. Stay in with some friends, put on some music, watch TV., and cook together! You get to make your own food, that hopefully tastes good, and you get to spend some time with your friends, rather than in a noisy cafeteria.
2. Family interaction time
Teaching children to cook young provides the family with another way to interact and spend quality time with each other. How many parents have complained that they do all cooking, while their kids are off being anti-social? Well, to make cooking less of a chore, involve your kids. Not only is your child gaining valuable experiences later on in life, but they doing what you love most: spending time with one another. Now, I’m not saying to start off teaching them how to cook filet mignon. My first experience was boiling water for mac n’ cheese.
3. Grocery shopping & budgeting
As stated previously, cooking is one of those important life skills you really can’t avoid. Not only should you be able to provide for yourself, but cooking also introduces you to other important skills such as grocery shopping. Most people may have never been introduced to grocery shopping, which is actually really important for budgeting. In a lot of ways, buying your own groceries is less expensive than getting fast-food every night. Which is so much better for you in the long run. Grocery budgeting does not come easy, but overtime you learn how to find good options that are relatively cheap. Not to mention getting enough food for at least a month.
4. Independence
Being able to cook your own food means you don't have to rely on anyone else. At least one person reading this probably has a friend that has no idea how to cook, right? Or maybe you are that friend and don’t want to be. Either way, learning to cook would allow to do your own cooking and taking care of yourself. Which for most young adults, isn’t independence the whole reason you moved out of your parents’ house?
5. Don't end up like a Sim.
Finally, I wanted to end my article on light note. The best reason really for learning to cook young is so you don’t end up like one of the Sims. For anyone who has played before, you probably know what happens to a Sim who cooks for the first time.
