Children in the Kitchen

Childhood. We never appreciate it when we have it… I guess that’s the whole point of being a “child” is the innocence and carefree spirit that accompanies such a wondrous time in our lives, which by definition is impossible once you go to a job and pay your first bill. As someone who has yet to birth a child but definitely sees a few in her future, I feel it is imperative to introduce children into the “kitchen” realm at their young age. Several of my best memories involve my mother’s cooking, a favorite food, etc., and I aspire to share the same with my hypothetical children one day.

My mother is a farm-raised, all-natural, organic-loving Earth biscuit. As a baby, wheat germ topped everything I ate. All natural ice cream was a luxury. White bread, candy, sugary juices, and (especially) McDonalds were just not on the menu. To this day she cringes when I have that once-a-month diet coke. But that doesn’t mean I feel deprived of any facet of my childhood… on the contrary, I should probably thank her. She taught me that simple is good, homemade is (usually) best, and that what you eat is who you are. One of my favorite breakfasts is still a bowl of oatmeal containing a slice of crumbled whole wheat toast. The “children’s tea” she made just for me was chock full of antioxidants and contained no caffeine. But it was a special, tasty treat and laid the foundation for good health habits as an adult. Sure I eventually ate McDonalds, and you better believe I can throw down some Reese’s peanut butter cups… but I still appreciate those beginning stages of my diet that helped my brain and body develop.

Think about how busy you are. You probably barely have time to cook dinner, much less any fun treats. And in order to cook that dinner, you send your kids outside or to another room so they’re not in the way. Now sometimes this may be the best course of action… if you’re doing a OAMC (Once a Month Cooking) session, you do NOT need little people at your feet all day, as this requires your full attention to an almost choreographed series of movements around your kitchen… not to mention you don’t want a dangerous utensil to wind up in someone’s hands just because you have too many things going on at once. But what if your kids are old enough not only to help but to also have fun and learn a little something while they’re doing it? Put some disposable gloves on them and let them mix the meatloaf by hand. Give them some fresh green beans from the garden and let them break them for you (that was one of my favorites). I recently made a batch of Monkey Bread at a friend’s house with her 6 year old… my job was to portion the biscuits and shape into balls, while he rolled them in cinnamon sugar and placed them in the pan. It actually went faster, plus he was excited about eating something he helped cook!

Allowing a youngster to assist in the kitchen can open his/her eyes to a whole new world. I’ve seen kids who turn their noses up to anything other than chicken tenders and French fries, and I think it’s awful. Introducing the vast array of flavors to the pallet at a young age keeps them well-rounded and open to new life experiences. Being allergic to a certain food or having a serious nausea problem around tunafish is one thing. You don’t have to like everything. But refusing to try peas because they are green or look funny is absurd. Try it, you might like it. Additionally, a child may be more willing to taste a vegetable if he/she were involved in the prep and cooking process. If it’s a homegrown vegetable from a garden, even better. Growing and “picking” your own food exponentially increases the “fun” level associated with that food. What a wonderful world it would be if kids thought vegetable skewers were “normal” instead of Happy meals…

From a nerd standpoint, think of the math involved when cooking. “Hey kiddo… we need two eggs for this and four eggs for that… how many eggs total do we need?” Or if your child is old enough, it could be great practice with fractions. “If the original recipe calls for 2/3 cup and we’re doubling the recipe, how much flour will we need?” (The answer is 1 1/3 cup in case you’re currently doing the math.) They could also learn kitchen safety. Pretty much everyone has suffered a cut from a sharp knife or a burn from a hot pan from hurried thoughtlessness when cooking… and accidents happen. But perhaps we’d have fewer incidents if we were taught from a young age to respect these weapons. If a kid always sees you grabbing pot handles with a potholder, they’re more likely to assume that’s just how it’s done and practice the same caution. You’d be surprised what habits stick with you… when I was young, my mother made me wear flip flops in any foreign shower, even if it was in a nice resort. (Something about ringworm?) Well, guess what. I am almost 30 and any time I will be using a public shower, you better believe I will have on flip flops… it just feels weird and gross if I don’t. The point here? Habits are learned from a young age… do what you can to make sure your child learns good ones. After all, it has taken you a lifetime to get to whatever skill level you are in the kitchen… do your child a favor and share your wisdom!

So now that your kid is an overly cautious math wiz who can separate an egg white better than you can, pat yourself on the back. Not only is this practical knowledge and skills for anyone to have under his/her belt, but you’ve hopefully enjoyed some quality time together. Childhood memories can be and should be some of the sweetest moments in both of your lives. What better way to create them than by collaborating in the kitchen to create a healthy meal you’ll enjoy together (or a fun treat, who am I kidding!). It will naturally induce communication… just calm down, be patient, and enjoy the experience. Relax and move a little slower. It may take 10 more minutes to accomplish the kitchen “deed” but your little one has forever to remember it.