Do you give your children cooking lessons?

I absolutely think kids should be introduced to cooking and cooking methods, even if their parent isn't the best of cooks. They should understand what utensil and pot does what and why, how to measure, what appliances to use for what and how to use them. My son, 28, was and is an avid fisherman. When he was 9 or 10, he brought home about 30 blue gill he and his friend had caught and wanted to eat them. Granted, part of my reason was not wanting to cook 30 fish, but he had previously shown an interest, so I showed him how I would cook trout and said he could do the same thing with them. I stayed nearby to be sure nothing disastrous happened, but he cooked and enjoyed every last one of them. He is now the primary cook in his family and loves it! My step-daughter had problems with fractions in school, so I had her help me make various recipes using measuring cups and spoons to show her how the different fractions related to one another and how to double recipes, etc. She ended up telling her family that it was I who taught her to cook. It never occurred to me that she was also getting the cooking basics out of what I showed her. My daughter was less interested in cooking, but ended up being quite a good cook through trial and error. Mostly, I had shown her the microwave, but she picked the rest up on her own. But, I do think all kids should be shown what to do in a kitchen and given the opportunity to either help make or plan a meal. Everyone should be prepared to fend for themselves and we, as parents, should be teaching them how to be independent adults some day.

We learned a lot from our grandmother, when we were small. She always wanted her little girls to be in the kitchen with her; of course we were little tom boys, and were always romping in the woods, and skinny dipping in the creek. She definitely tried to make young ladies of us though. I think she did a fairly good job, we just had to grow out of the tom boy stage.

Yes, my mom gave me cooking lessons when I turned five I learned a little everyday and by the time I was 8 I could put a whole meal on the table myself. I have always had a love for cooking it calms me somehow. I would rather have homemade then fast food or boxed any day and I don't have any kids myself..but I did teach my nieces to cook some when I babysat them and one niece used to stay with me during summer school break so I had alot of time to spend with her and she loves cooking as much as I do. I am teaching my little sister who's just turned 8 to cook now just simple stuff but we have a blast doing it. I know that she won't starve atleast if it ever came down to it.

I taught all three of my kids to cook cakes and main meals.My youngest teenager is not so keen but he can make him self a proper dinner.He knows what foods are good for him fruit and veg ect he has not got a sweet tooth although he does like my cakes.My eldest son cooks for his four children and his partner as she cannot.I think it is a mothers duty to show the kids how to cook and eat especially on a budget so they don't get stuck eating rubbish when they move out.My daughter also cooks for her family most nights and it saves her a fortune,knowing what to buy and look for lean meat etc,she thanks me for teaching her the skill.Now I am cooking with my grandchildren as well mainly cakes and goodies just like I started my kids off with,get them to enjoy it,you should see my four year old grandson with the sieve and icing sugar as he sieves the lumps out,we all look around 90 years old but what a laugh.We put a bit of this and bit of that in,decide what colour {organic}mix it all up and bung it in the oven ,always tastes lovely.They have so much fun with nanny in the kitchen.

Hi Marguicha. I learned many of my own cooking skills from my mom, and yes, when my three daughters were growing up, they loved to cook with me, and I taught them basic skills from the time they were young, and then they advanced with more complicated things as they grew. It has served them well, as they are all excellent cooks who now teach their own children to cook...even the boys! And I love it when my grandchildren visit and love to cook with me :)) It's a beautiful family tradition for us all. Karen

Mine come and BEG to be involved! Espeically my 2 year old. I try to find a job for her. Like today, I was peeling and chopping squash. I don't allow her to use sharp things, so the cutting and peeling were out. But she was just as happy as could be to sit there and put my peelings into my "garbage bowl." LOL Other jobs I have let her and 5 year old bro do--scoop seeds out of a pumpkin (halloween couple weeks ago) They dump stuff in when I bake. They stir. (And I do a final stir, LOL) They cut bananas, avocados, soft stuff like that with butter knives. They snap green beans. One time, they even made meatballs. (gotta be REALLY watching that one, NO sampling and you WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY when done!) Oh and they are champions at licking beaters, spoons, bowls LOL I want them more involved when they want to be, I might even go so far as to start a reg. cooking day....

I have done cooking with all my children It is great fun and I think it is very important for them to be able to cook. My eldest children who are 12,16 and 18 are all now able to cook on their own. My 16 year old has been know to cook dinner for everyone. I love cooking with my youngest who is 3 although it can be very messy I don't mind as it is a great way to spend time with him. My 8 year old loves to help out with cooking as well and is very keen to learn new things to cook. I only got cooking lessons from school my mum did bake but liked to do it herself she was the sort who did not like anyone helping her.

Hi. Yes, I was taught how to cook since I was 7. Not only cooking but all kinds of household chores Actually all of us, 6 children were taught by our parents. It was mandatory to learn because there was division of labor from the eldest to the youngest. If we have to learn to keep with our part because if not, make ready your ears and but for a whip. Being the youngest was of no excuse then. I could remember then I use a chair to finish washing the dishes. I cant reach the wash area so I have to stay on top of the chair to finish it and make sure that no glass or ware is broken. I experienced many mistakes and failures in my cooking till I finally got them. I love cooking and I was inspired to take culinary arts. But my parents wanted me to be a lawyer so my dream was set aside by obedience. But I am so glad that I was taught because wherever I am it is not difficult for me to do the work by myself. And it is a big saving for me to cook my own food, my own taste and my own style instead of eating on a fastfood which is expensive with small serving and taste that does not fit my taste buds.

Hi marguicaha, I wouldn't describe it as cooking lessons as such but when my son is in the mood to be intested I show him different things in the kitchen. He can cook an omlette and make a Greek coffee, but knows how to do lots of things which doesn't involve the actual cooker as I'm still wary of burn accidents. But he can grate, juice, operate the electic mixer, weigh stuff out so when I bake we usually do it together. I will introduce him to much more and have him cooking though as he is interested to learn and I think its important that boys especially konw these things so are not reliant on women to produce food for them but can even produce a meal for them.

Hi marguicha. Although I don't have kids, I was never taught cooking when I was younger. I remember my mother cooking two dinners in my entire childhood...she basically filled the cupboards with food and it was "fend for yourself." We actually never had fresh fruits or veggies in the house...ever. I learned some basic baking and cooking techniques (and what a spatula was) from my grandma. I learned how to make a milkshake when I was 12, and a friend taught me to scramble eggs at 13. It amazed me that there was more than TV dinners and fruit snacks. I think it's extremely important to teach kids to cook if you have them. Extremely. Looking back at my childhood I'm not angry at my mom for not cooking, but the lack of good food in the house as I was growing up. It's amazing I stayed as healthy as I am after a childhood of TV dinners, pop-tarts, popcorn, Oreos, and Fruit by the Foots. At thirteen I went vegetarian, and a few years later I went vegan, so since I was the only nutrition freak in the family starting at 16 when I could drive I'd go to the grocery myself and get things I could eat and cook. I taught myself to cook back then, and now I'm pretty good at it. A good ending to a quite dismal start.

In time i will teach my two sons to cook. My youngest who's 9 years old seems to be interested in cooking. He used to check on me when i am in the kitchen cooling. I expose him by asking him to do the mixing, taste test and orient him about the dish that i am preparing. He loves it when i asked him to assist me. My sons are both special and their involvement as it relates to cooking is just "assisting" in terms of giving the ingredients and cleaning up the working area.

I always cooked with my three daughters and taught them how to bake as well. It is very important for children to learn to cook, from the simplest to more difficult recipes, depending on their particular interests and abilities. Cooking is a life skill that is very important and, I believe that everyone should be able to at least know how to make simple meals. My oldest daughter enjoyed cooking and made many dishes on her own, becoming quite creative. My other two weren't as interested, but, I feel I did my job in showing them what they needed to know in order to be able to feed themselves. Now I cook with and teach my granddaughter. She calls herself my sous chef. She has a chef's toque, and for a while, wanted to grow up to be a chef. Now she wants to be about 5 different things when she grows up, like most kids. But the cooking skills are invaluable. Children who cook with their parents have a greater appreciation of food and enjoy a variety of foods, including what they create. They also learn what hard work cooking can be, and appreciate what their parents do for them. My mom was a good cook and shared recipes with me and my dad was a good motivater who loved food and inspired me to become a good cook.

My kids are now 10 and 12. I have started bringing them into the kitchen for about a year now to do easy stuff like boling rice, cutting the veggies to make quinoa soup and later on, they learned to make this soup themselves. This was the age when we were also taught by my mother to get involved in the kitchen. I am passing on this tradition to my children. In addition, they took baking lessons for kids and now they can bake their own chocolate cake and cookies. As you said, the kitchen is always messy but I told them that cleaning-up is also part of cooking. This was the age when we were also taught by my mother to get involved in the kitchen. I am passing on this tradition to my children.

Definetly! I am a firm believer that if you dont teach the girls when they are young, tehy will not know when they are older. I was raised beign the oldest of all the grandkids. I didnt have a choice in the matter to learn how to cook and clean behind others.Thanks be to god, I must say I am one heck of a housekeeper. When I was married, my husband never had to worry abotu a messy house (except for my lazy days) or dinner not be prepared or his lunch being packed for the next day. It was done without any questions. So, yes it is very important that you train your children up in the way they should go so when they are old, they WILL not depart from those ways.

I believe that children should be taught of cooking because this skill is basic to human beings. I have taught my girls to cook simple meals so that when i am out they can do it by themselves even if we know we have help at home.

my kids are just little to know cooking. maybe when they reached at the age of eight, then it would be the best time teaching them how to cook food they love to eat.

I learned cooking when i was about ten years old. If your children have learned cook, then when they were alone they could look after themselves well. And they do some housework could help them grow up quickly. Their ability will improve,too. So i think we should teach them cook, washing and so on.

Hello Marguicha, I like the way you teach you girls to cook! I am sure you guys have a very good time in the kitchen. For me, My mum hardly teach me how to cook when I was young, hence my cookery is bad now, LOL. But now I have my own children I don't think I will follow my mom's foot step. I will love to teach them to cook. But they are too small now, I normally chase them away while I am busy in the kitchen. It is too dangerous for my kids, especially my rascal king ( my 2 yr old son) to stay in the kitchen. He likes to play around with the stove. I have seen many accident happen in the kitchen for small kids. If they grow bigger, I will sure share my kitchen with them. More ever they might be a little helper. They can help up to wash the vegetables or other easy works.

HI marguicha,Yes i do,i teach my children how to cook our foods.Even if i'm out of the house i can sure thet they will cook foods for the family.I gave them an assignments to cook that is why they learn.Almost every sunday we're together in the kitchen to cook foods they like to eat. and they enjoy being in the kitchen to cook with me.Good luck!

hi marguicha, I have no kids wright now, but I have to make them learn cooking when they were grown to 10-12. I like your implementation, I feel to follow it in future.