When it comes to allowing your kids to assist you in the kitchen, you’ve probably heard plenty of myths over the years that have made you think you should avoid this until they are a little older. We believe that children of all ages can benefit from spending more time in the kitchen, and it helps to teach them some of the most critical skills they’ll need later on in life. Keep reading as we debunk some of the top myths about kids in the kitchen.
- Children are too young to be in the kitchen
One of the most common reasons kids often don’t learn to cook until their teenage or college years is that people believe they are too young to spend time in the kitchen. We believe this is far from the truth, which is why we encourage you to purchase specialist equipment for your kids so they can have an enjoyable and safe experience in the kitchen. Even kids of age three or four years old can be assigned specific tasks in the kitchen, preparing them to learn more skills later on as they grow up. Start by teaching your children mixing, measuring, and decorating skills before progressing onto using knives and learning how to switch on the oven and other devices.
- Kids don’t belong in the kitchen
This old-fashioned myth suggests that the kitchen is too dangerous for kids to spend time in, so they should be sent out of the kitchen. However, most parents are trying to juggle so many different tasks at one time nowadays that they often need to keep their kids in the kitchen just to get lunch and dinner made on time. If you find that your kids often gravitate towards your kitchen, embrace this fact and use it to teach them more about food and cooking.
- Young chefs won’t be able to cook anything tasty
If you search online, you’ll no doubt find stories of incredible cooking feats from young chefs. There’s no reason that an older child or teenager won’t be able to cook something as delicious as an adult, and many younger chefs have a real knack for pulling off unbelievable meals. If your child is passionate about cooking and food, allow them to keep experimenting, and you are bound to be impressed by the results.
- Kids only want to eat junk food
While your kids probably love baking sweet treats such as cookies and cakes, you’ll also find that they enjoy cooking healthy meals and snacks. In fact, when it comes to cooking, kids don’t have a huge preference about the type of food they are cooking. Cooking is a great way to encourage your kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, and they’ll learn how to incorporate these ingredients into new dishes. They’ll love playing around with foods with different textures and learning how to use the various kitchen utensils you own to make the most of these ingredients.
- Plain food is best for younger children
Younger children often stick to plain food, but that doesn’t mean that as they grow up, they can’t learn to experiment with new flavors and seasonings. Cooking is a good way to introduce your kids to new flavors, and they’ll soon decide what they do and don’t like. Of course, you can’t always guarantee that your child will enjoy what they cooked, but you’ll find that when they cook it themselves, they are more likely to try eating it anyway.
- They’ll burn themselves when cooking
While there are certainly some health and safety considerations to keep in mind when allowing your kids into the kitchen, we encourage you to still allow your kids to learn about cooking from a young age. As long as you don’t leave them unattended around the stovetop, the oven, or sharp knives, you’ll find the risks of them cooking are pretty minimal. Younger children will always need supervision in the kitchen, but as they grow older, teenagers may become experienced enough to cook by themselves.
- Cooking with kids is unhygienic
Many parents stop their children from cooking in the kitchen purely for hygiene reasons. However, so many adults don’t even bother to wash their hands before cooking, so the risks of cooking with children are no more than with adults. Teaching your children to wash their hands before touching food or eating is something that all parents should try to do from a young age, and by cooking more regularly, you’ll only continue to reinforce this action. They’ll also learn more about washing up and tidying up by cooking, as you can show them how to keep your kitchen looking clean and tidy when your food is in the oven.
- Kids won’t have fun in the kitchen
Finally, one of the biggest myths we want to debunk is that cooking won’t be fun for your children. It’s such a shame that parents and children believe this to be the case, as it’s far from the truth. You’ll find that by choosing the right projects to enjoy with your children, they’ll absolutely love spending time with you in the kitchen. When you first start cooking with your children, begin by introducing them to cake baking and cookie making. From there, you can move on to their favorite meals and encourage them to expand their recipe knowledge. Kids won’t find cooking to be boring in the slightest, and they’ll be begging you to cook every weekend from now on.
When cooking with children in the kitchen, we highly encourage you to invest in equipment that’s specifically designed for their age and size. On our site, you’ll find a full range of products that can help to make cooking safer and more enjoyable for everyone. Your kids will love being introduced to cooking at an early age, and they’ll learn valuable life skills that they will be able to draw upon later in life. After just a few months of cooking, you’ll soon find that your kids are putting your cooking skills to shame and creating wonderful meals that your whole family will enjoy.
