Teaching your kids to cook at a young age has many benefits. Not only does it help lift some of the burden off a busy, homeschooling mom, but it will be of benefit to them in their whole lives. Planning, organizing, preparing, and serving meals teach valuable skills that extend to other areas.
Meals prepared at home can be healthier and cheaper than fast food meals. Cooking and presentation of food is a creative activity that allows your children to express their artistic talents and individuality. Cooking lessons can incorporate reading, history, science, math and geography. Cooking can be turned into a ministry as you prepare meals for families who have sick or hospitalized members or for the elderly. Hospitality can be practiced as your children help to prepare and serve meals to guests in your home. Preparing meals together is a great family activity.
You don't have to be a excellent cook yourself to teach your children. I am not a great cook. My mom was a perfectionist who often did not want us in the kitchen, except to clean up, because we didn't do things the same way she did, or our efforts were not perfect. So I didn't learn many culinary skills as a child. I lived alone for several years after graduating from college, and most of my meals were fast food or consisted of opening a few cans. I really didn't gain many cookings skills until I got married to a man who likes most things made from scratch. He was very patient and tolerant with me as I was learning. I gathered many cookbooks, asked my mom for recipes, and wasn't too proud to ask him for help. I am still not a great cook, but an adequate one. I can read and follow recipes, and sometimes I even feel comfortable enough to improvise.
When my kids were little, I was reluctant to let them cook, but they kept pestering me until I would let them help. At first it was hard, because I, like my mother, tend to be a perfectionist. But I began to see the benefits of letting them help me and to over look the mistakes they made, and still make. Often while teaching them, I was learning something new myself, and most of them are already far better cooks than me.
Don't think cooking lessons are for girls only. Boys can and should be taught to cook. My husband is a fantastic cook, and that has been a big blessing to me. He cooked many a meal when I was sick, pregnant and couldn't stay on my feet long enough to cook a meal, after I had my babies, and when I had to go out of town. Your sons may be single for a long time, and they won't starve or eat too much unhealthy fast food if they know how to cook. My husband shared a house with several men in college, and he was their chief cook.
How do you teach your kids to cook? The easiest, cheapest way is to just start letting them help as soon as they are able. Give them easy tasks, like stirring after you put in an ingredient. Explain each step as you do it while they watch. Gradually add more difficult tasks as they are capable. Eventually, step back and let them do it themselves, with only your supervision and helpful hints when needed. When they are old enough to read and measure, give them simple recipes to follow. You could buy a kid's cookbook or get recipes off the internet. There are even online cooking classes, and some homeschool co-ops offer them.
Safety is paramount when teaching kids to cook. Never leave them alone in the kitchen. Teach them safety rules, like turning pot handles in, wearing oven mitts, using pot holders. Don't let younger siblings or pets sit or stand too close to the stove. Teach them to cut safely, starting off with easy things and blunt knives. Show them how to clean up spills quickly and thoroughly and the safe handling of raw food, especially meat. If you aren't sure about these things yourself, look it up on the internet before you start teaching your kids.
Resist the temptation to be overly critical. You have to be prepared to eat some less than perfect creations. Correct them lovingly and carefully at the appropriate moment. Too much criticism and expecting perfection is the biggest turn off, and will discourage their willingness to learn. My oldest daughter was helping me make her little sister's birthday cake one year. She was a little too vigorous in her stirring, and some of the shortening and eggs ended up in my hair. It was hard for me to keep my temper that time, but I managed to and we continued on making the cake after I wiped the stuff out of my hair.
When we began homeschooling, my husband and I started assigning each child specific meals to plan and prepare. They choose the menu, check to be sure we have all the ingredients, and then give me a grocery list if necessary. We tell them to try to use what we already have first. They started out just helping me prepare those meals, now they can prepare an entire lunch and dinner by themselves. Even my nine year old. She can't prepare elaborate meals, but she makes a great grilled cheese sandwich. My oldest daughter likes to prepare vegetarian meals, and they are unusual and delicious. Italian dishes and cheesecake are the forte of my second daughter. My third daughter is a good all around cook. My youngest, besides the aforementioned grilled cheese, makes an awesome banana bread. My 12 year old recently had a party, where she taught her friends how to make a special breakfast.
As Chef Gusteau says in Ratatouille, "Any one can cook." I would add, even your kids when given the proper training and support. You will be glad you did, and someday they and their future families will be glad too.
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