Cooking with children
By AnnaB87
@AnnaB87 (761)
United States
February 12, 2007 8:01am CST
At what age to you feel most children are ready to start doing some unsupervised cooking?
And what kind of meals should your child be a loowed to make, foods other than microwave type dinners.
Also what are some meals you feel would be good meals to start teaching kids to cook?
Would you suggest baked items or grilled items or what as first projects for a new young cook?
5 people like this
8 responses
@chellicks (904)
• Philippines
12 Feb 07
Its very funny but I have a 5-year old son and he always wanted to watch me while i'm cooking. He even pull a chair beside me so that he can stand and see for himself what i'm cooking. I think in elementary they teaches our children to cook. I can still remember I was in grade 5 then when i had my first cooking in school. I was 11 years old then. Our teacher taught us the sauteed mixed vegetable, because its easy to cook.
@AnnaB87 (761)
• United States
12 Feb 07
So my daughter has probably started cooking too soon?
She has been cooking for a fairly long time I really don't remember when she first started, I did gradually let her do more and more things she is now twelve and can cook just about anything with little to no help.
I just wondered if this was about average or are most kids not really cooking at this age?
She has been cooking with no help for at least two years, but she has been cooking with some help longer than that.
She does not cook turkeys yet though as that is to heavy for her to mess with.
She usually makes breads, cakes, cookies, hot cereals, grilled meats and salads.
And maybe salon cakes some days.
She really cooks quite a bit, she can follow a recipe or make up her own. And does pretty well.
She has been making sweet potatoe raisin bread lately, i did tell her she was going to have to stop making it though because it is really good and I may eat too much LOL
@thunderofsins (738)
• United States
12 Feb 07
As soon as my children express an interest in cooking I'll start teaching them. I don't think children ever need to be regulated to only microwave dinners. Besides, those are gross and unhealthy! They should be supervised of course but they can help starting at even just a couple years old. They can stir things, mix things, sprinkle the seasonings and cheese, etc.
When my children are ready to start helping more I'll let them do as much as they can. I was able to make a full meal by myself at nine years old. I'll of course be in the kitchen with them and be right there to help with things like dumping out boiling water, but once they know how to do something I'll let them do it as long as they are able and it is (relatively) safe, accidents can always happen but as long as they are taugh proper precautions and I'm there to help that shouldn't stop them from being able to cook.
1 person likes this
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
12 Feb 07
I stared my kids with helping with cup cakes. Though I had to leave the kitchen when they put the batter in the cup cake pan. They were about 5 at the time. But as soon as they show any interest you can start giving them little jobs like putting the pre measured ingredients in what ever you are fixing. My boys were fixing eggs as soon as they could see into the pan. For a first meal something very simple. such as hot dogs andMac and cheese. Just start them on real simple things and progress from there.
1 person likes this
@wmg2006 (5381)
• United States
18 Feb 07
A very good question. I don't think there is a particular age, it depends on the maturity of each child. I was 7 when I learned to make biscuits by myself. My son was 12 before I even tried to work with him the kitchen. Each child will show an interest at a different age. Only you can determine how careful they are around a hot stove or oven. The easiest thing is let them prepare evertyhing while you supervise anything they may be doing around heat. It is all about practice and your comfort zone.
@Dolcerina (3376)
• Hungary
23 Feb 07
I have a son, and I often ask him to help me in cooking. He will be 7 in may. He tries to help me in everything. He try to peel the potato even :) He is very cute. We made the christmas sweets together. We often make pizza together. He cuts the olive, grates the cheese, and when I put the batter to the baking dish, he put the foods onto it. SO I show him everything, and I let him to try to do everything. But allways such little things. He will know what he can do.
@skittles46 (388)
• United States
23 Feb 07
My daughter is 7 and I am just now starting to turn her free in the kitchen. She has been helping me with supervised tasks for several years now. The first thing she learned by herself was oatmeal, simple, easy, yet combines quite a few basic skills. She can also bake several things and is continuing to work in the kitchen alongside me as well.
It is my goal to have her able to fully operate a kitchen (make any meal) by the time she is 13.
@lovelymama (22)
• Switzerland
12 Feb 07
Always nice to cook with the children, they are so interest to cook by them self and will be proud that they can cook something with mama.
@sujikka (76)
• India
17 Feb 07
most of the children start doing chappathis,pooris at the age of 5. they all love to make foods like egg omelet.i prefer them to teach first is bread toast,bread sanwich.this type of food is very good for the growing children.
