When kids are very young, they often want to emulate what their parents are doing. For example, if Mom and Dad are preparing dinner, Junior will want to be involved. Unfortunately, while cultivating an interest in food - especially homemade food, as opposed to fast food - is a wonderful thing for a child, they can occasionally get in the way of the chef.
An easy solution is to assign your child age-appropriate tasks that they can do with little to no supervision once they have been shown how to do it in the first place. Real Simple offers a helpful list of such tasks, sorted by age, so your kids can join in the cooking process. Here are a few of their suggestions:
5 and over
- Retrieve ingredients from the pantry or refrigerator.
- Wash vegetables and fruits.
- Stir together dry ingredients.
- Smash crackers into crumbs.
- Set the table.
7 and over
- Measure ingredients.
- Peel vegetables.
- Frost a cake (sheet cakes are easiest).
- Separate eggs.
10 and over
- Use a standing or handheld mixer and a food processor.
- Chop vegetables (might require some practice).
- Most other kitchen tasks (with supervision).
For children under 5, who are not included in the original list, try giving them an oven timer so they can let you know when the food is ready to come out of the over, whether it's cake or roasted chicken. Explain to them what you are doing, so they learn about the stages of cooking ("This is called sauteing"), and let them help you pick the recipes, or practice reading them aloud to you as you work.
The interest in different tasks will vary by child, but these are a good place to start. One other thing to keep in mind is to emphasize that cleanup is part of the cooking process, putting things away when you're done and washing the dishes after the cooking is finished. Good habits can never start too early
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