Why Should My Kids Cook?

My son used to be a very good eater, not just in the sense of having a good appetite, but that he was adventurous, not picky, ate anything, and loved whole food -- fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lamb, fish, etc. 

Then I started to notice that he was refusing to eat at meal times. Whatever I made, he didn’t want it.  He actually started using the word "hate" with foods he hadn’t ever tried.  Some of his new dislikes included some of the same vegetables he used to love, and he was constantly requesting more processed foods like hot-dogs and mac and cheese. 

I realized that something had to change — his eating habits were going downhill real fast. But how do you get a three-year-old to rethink food?

That's when I started thinking about getting him more involved in the actual process of making the food. At first, it was just observation. I’d sit him on the counter and show him the raw ingredients and explain what I was doing as I was cooking. I was like his private cooking show. 

Now that he’s a little older, it has become more interactive, and that's where we are now. Most importantly, I think it has made a huge difference in my son's willingness to eat a variety of foods. 

The kitchen is such a natural learning environment. It engages all of his senses and helped developed his hand-eye coordination and taught him how to listen and follow directions. And this is all happening while we’re having fun and creating memories.

I can also see how his confidence and worth is built-up when he gets to participate in making something for the whole family. The first thing he tells dad when he comes home is what his specific contribution was to the dish or meal; how he helped stir the sauce or whip the batter. 

Since I can only , I have some real limitations in the kitchen, so some tasks are off limits for me. But overall, those are very few, and my son has become comfortable not only around the kitchen but also comfortable with real food. 

While he still has his dislikes, his attitude about food is more open. And he has stopped demanding mac and cheese on a daily basis. 

My child's health and development are most important, but I can't leave out the other critical benefit of getting my son involved cooking. 

Let’s face it, cooking is hard work (especially for me) and having a couple of kids that know their way around the kitchen would be very helpful. Who knows, maybe they’ll bring me breakfast-in-bed one morning — I can dream… 

Tomorrow we’ll be baking Banana Bread with Pecans and Chocolate Chips, yum!