How to Teach Your Child to Cook

With all the fast food restaurants and frozen pizzas, families don't cook like they used to. This will help guide you on ways to teach your child to cook and bake.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Recipes
• Cookbooks
• Kitchen
• Cooking utensils

1. Read cookbooks and magazines that have recipes in them. Look at the photographs of prepared dishes and get an idea of what you both like. Children are visual. If they see a photograph of something they like it is a good chance that they will be interested in learning how to cook or bake it.

2. Show your child how to use measuring cups and measuring spoons. Teach them how to set the temperature on the oven and how to use a microwave. You can start doing this when they are young. Children love to spend time with their parents doing things with them. They love to imitate them. You can watch your children pretending to cook and do all the things that you do in the house and home.

3. Use caution, especially with little ones. It will be a while before they can cook by themselves. You will have to let them know of course that they can't do these things without you until you are confident that they are ready. As they get older they need less supervision but until then you can be with them and experiment. You may find that they are better at cooking than you are.

4. Try not to cramp their style. You may be a rigid cook. You might follow a recipe by the book, never varying a recipe. Maybe your child will be more inventive. Let go of the reins a little.

Tips & Warnings

• Watching cooking shows with your children will also get them interested in cooking and trying new things.

[acole]

on 6/24/2008 Fun! Kids love to help, especially in the kitchen, so why not include them. Thanks for the article!