Guest post: teaching your kids to cook

As many of you know I don't have children at the moment. However, I do think teaching them to cook brings great value in creating long term healthy habits into adulthood. So when Daniel reached out wanting to write a topic on cooking and kitchen safety with children I wholeheartedly agreed! If you have a topic you want covered, you can always reach out via the contact page!
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Teaching kids how to cook and bake is a valuable lesson that will stay with them for life, and it can also boost their self-confidence and teach them healthy habits. But it’s important to remember that in the kitchen, safety comes first. Talk to your kids about the best ways to ensure their safety when using the oven and utensils, and help them learn fire prevention tactics that will keep your home protected.


It’s a good idea to spend some time in the kitchen with your children, allowing them to watch you prepare meals or treats, before you let them try it on their own. Let them get a feel for the order you do things in, how to use measuring cups and spoons, and the right way to approach a hot pan or pot. After that, allow them to help in small ways, easing them into the activities while explaining the rules of being in the kitchen.


Cooking can be a very rewarding experience for your kids, and it can also serve as bonding time for your family. With a little planning, you can make sure it’s a safe and fun time for everyone. Here are the best ways to get started.


Go over the rules


Let your kids know the rules of the kitchen before they get started; you can find a great set of rules for each age group here.

• No cooking without an adult present
• Wash your hands thoroughly both before and after handling food
• Turn all pot handles to the side to prevent them from being knocked off the stove or getting caught on clothing
• Always use potholders; designate a place for them to go when not in use, especially if you have a gas stove with an open flame
• Keep long hair pulled back
• Keep the work area clean, even while you’re working
• Know where the fire extinguisher is
• Don’t taste food until it’s cooked

Teach fire safety and prevention


It’s always a good idea to go over fire safety and prevention tips, such as how to keep items in the oven from burning, how to keep pots from boiling over, and what to do in case of flames or grease spatter. While it’s not fun to think of these things happening, it’s important to give your kids the knowledge and make sure they know how to handle themselves in case of an emergency.


There are things you can do, as well, including testing your smoke alarms regularly and keeping an up-to-date fire extinguisher on hand in the kitchen and near any grills or fireplaces. You can find some helpful information on how to make your kitchen kid-friendly over at HomeAdvisor.com.


Look for special cookbooks just for kids


If you have very young children, it might be helpful to find cookbooks especially for little ones. These often have colorful photos included with the recipes, allowing kids to see what their creation will look like, along with easy-to-follow instructions for young readers.


Go over follow-up rules


Working in the kitchen means there’s almost always some cleaning up to do, so it’s important to instill these after-rules in your child as well. Include tips on how to make sure all appliances are safely cleaned and turned off.
Cooking and baking should be a fun experiencefor your child, so don’t forget to relax a little and let him make a bit of a mess at first. Sometimes, that’s part of the learning experience! Talk about your creations and communicate ideas about how to improve recipes, or challenge your child to come up with his own.


Thanks Daniel for sharing!