Ever let your kids cook?

Why does it need to be perfect? Often mistakes can be good too. That's how new recipes are born. Forget being perfect and experiment a little!! My oldest daughter is 12 and she cooks dinner once a week. My youngest helps a lot too. She once wanted to surprise me with a snack and mixed Oranges, Rice Krispies, Pickles and milk. I can't say I ate it, but it made me happy to see her try!

I have let my daughter help with cooking since she was about 6 years old. She always wanted to stir things, so she did that part for me. I thought it was a good way for her to start learning the basics for cooking anyway. As she has grown up, I let her do a little more now. She is now 15 years old and I have taught her many other things and some things she can now cook on her own with little supervision. I am always around when she cooks though so I can make sure she is safe and is doing it right.

My 13-year-old grandson cooks dinner for his family once a week. Everyone seems to enjoy it and gives him lots of compliments. He really likes cooking and is always looking for new recipes that he thinks they would enjoy. (He hates potatoes though, so he won't cook anything with potatoes in it.)

yes I have let my daughter cooked but not by herself. She would help me stir things (not on the stove) peel the eggs or break the eggs she really had a great time helping me now she is older and she still helps me.

I have a 9yo son who wants to be a chef when he gets older. So, he's often in the kitchen with me. He makes lunch on a daily basis, because he wants to. Sometimes, it's something simple like grilled cheese and soup. Other times, he gets creative.. he made a shredded salad once. Apples, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, radish, cabbage.. a lot of fruits and veggies, all shredded together and he put balsamic vinegar and olive oil in it.. as a dressing. It was good. Strange, but good. He gets involved with the prep (chopping, cutting, peeling, etc) the cooking (stove top or oven) and he also helps with the clean up. He says all good chefs should know how to keep the kitchen clean! Whether he's helping me or I'm supervising him.. he's always got his hand in the meals.. including the weekly planning. It's good to involve children in the daily activities. They learn a lot!