Getting the Kids to Cook Dinner While You Work

Where do you begin? First, by having them watch you prepare meals and as they grow, to engage them by asking for their assistance. Whether it’s making fun foods like pizza, or baking cookies or cupcakes; getting them involved is the first step.

As they grow, they can be given specific meals to make while under your supervision. Eventually, they may want to “surprise” you with meal they devised on their own. By applauding their efforts, they will be more inclined to continue.

Once you feel they are ready to prepare a meal, giving them the go-ahead to make their first dinner on their own, which will be an exciting challenge for them. Praise them to the nines for their efforts and for the delicious meal they have prepared.

Now that you are comfortable in knowing they can handle meal preparation, you can lay out some recipes for them and give them the opportunity to cook dinner while you work. If you are a work-at-home mom, they will always be able to call upon you if need be. If you work outside the home, they can call you at work if they run into a problem.

Yep, getting the kids to cook dinner while you work is not only a great idea but will offer them the opportunity to learn skills that are invaluable to them such as math, reading, critical thinking, learning about nutrition, different foods and cultures, food textures and, for some, developing a love for food that may be the catalyst that leads them to a culinary career.

One other point should be made; teaching kids how to cook from an early age not only speaks volumes in terms of how positive the experience is for them, but the fact you took the time to introduce them the fine art of cooking, and everything that goes along with it, will give them the confidence to pursue any task or challenge later in life.