You have to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner anyway (not to mention all
the various little snacks your kids seem to be asking for all day long),
so why not make the most of this time in the kitchen and get your kids
involved. Not only is it a great way to spend quality time with your
little ones, it can also be quite fun and educational to cook with your
kids. Here are a few things you can teach your kids through cooking
together.

Teach Safety and Proper Hygiene

The kitchen is the perfect place to teach your child about all kinds of
safety issues. They can learn the proper use of a knife and how careful
you have to be not to cut yourself, as well as how to safely handle
anything hot. You can also explain how to use electric appliances and
let the kids handle any of these "dangerous" things in a controlled
environment. You should of course choose age appropriate tasks for your
child. A toddler or preschooler for example can handle a butter knife to
spread or "cut" soft items under supervision. You can also teach the
concept of "hot" with some very warm pots, bowls or water that's not hot
enough to do any damage to your child.

Of course cooking also requires a certain amount of hygiene. Start by
teaching your child to always wash their hands before handling food. As the
two of you cook together, you will come across other situations, like
licking a spoon or handling raw meat or eggs that will bring up the subject.

Explain to your child why it is not ok to lick a spoon and put it back
or why we have to be so careful when dealing with raw eggs (to avoid
getting sick). Before you know it your child will be a food safety expert.

Teach Responsibility, Patience and Sharing

Cooking also presents the perfect opportunity to teach your child about
responsibility, patience and sharing. Let's take a look at each. As you
bake cookies with the kids, or cook spaghetti and meatballs, have them
help you clean up as you cook and afterwards. Make certain tasks their
responsibility like drying the dishes or setting the table. This will help
them learn there are certain responsibilities that come along with fun in
the kitchen. Of course cooking also often requires a good bit of patience
as you wait for the cookies to finish baking, or the pasta to boil until
it's done. To teach sharing, have the kids take turns stirring the pot and
don't forget to share what you made with family and friends. Setting a good
example with any of these concepts is often the best way to teach your kids
about them.

Building Self Esteem

Did you know you can improve your child's self esteem in the kitchen?
Help your child cook a meal or bake a cake for Grandma or Daddy and then
give him plenty of opportunity to show off his masterpiece. There's just
nothing better than being able to eat (and share) what you just created.
The praise they receive from their accomplishment is sure to give your
child's self esteem a big boost.

Learning Lifelong Skills

Cooking, cleaning and safe handling of food are skills that your child
will use throughout his life. I'm sure as a good parent, you don't want
to send your child off without having a good grasp on all of these
skills. Starting to teach them while your child is still young is a
great way to get a head start; and both of you will have a lot of fun
exploring the wide world of food together. Give it a try!

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You may also enjoy these kid-friendly broccoli recipes or go back to our cooking article page.