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You are here: Home / Homeschool / Teaching Kids to Cook

Teaching Kids to Cook

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February 18, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 25 Comments

My kids have been in the kitchen alongside me and my husband since they were babies.

I wanted my children exposed to cooking from the earliest possible age. I wanted them growing up around warm ovens and simmering stovetop sauces. I wanted the kitchen to be our symbolic family hearthfire.

So many of my peers didn’t learn how to cook and were forced to either learn as young adults or spend lots of money on takeout and eating in restaurants, which isn’t really healthy. Cooking shows and competitions are all the rage, but how many of us could actually put a nice meal together before our mid-twenties?

Many of our mothers either didn’t want us underfoot in the kitchen or they worked outside the home. My mom has never enjoyed cooking. She was great at preparing! We had lots of semi-homemade quick, simple, cheap and mostly unhealthy meals growing up. I was a terrible eater and would spend hours at the dinner table, staring at my congealing plate. My dad was a “clean your plate” parent. It’s a miracle I never really developed an eating disorder.

There is a generation gap with many of us now choosing to be stay-at-home or work-at-home moms or working part-time or having flexible work hours – and we don’t have any domestic skills.

I taught myself how to cook at about age 12 – from an old Weight Watchers cookbook. I started making some simple dinners straight from the recipes in the book. My dad started looking great and felt better, until I left home at age 21. I grew up with The Cajun Chef, Wan Can Cook, and Julia Child cooking shows on PBS. With trepidation and no guidance, I learned to play with flavors, colors, textures…what went well together. I would savor restaurant meals, seeking to discover this herb in the potatoes by smell and flavor or later researching the cooking technique of a seared pork chop. This was long before Internet and search engine days. Taking a snapshot of your plate for social media was unthought of.

As a young wife, I struggled to work full-time as a new teacher and get a frugal but healthy dinner on the table each evening. When I became pregnant, I struggled even more with fatigue. I resorted to chicken nuggets, fish sticks, frozen potatoes, and grilled cheese sandwiches. I realized the dilemma many families face with little money, stressful lives, and growing families. How can we purchase, prep, and cook healthy meals when we’re barely surviving financially and emotionally?

Sometimes, it takes a crisis or two to make changes happen.

Fast forward to a few years later, with three young kids – homeschooling and desperately seeking solutions to sensitive skin in one child, adrenal failure for me, and potential ADHD for another child. My husband took several prescription meds for high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

We knew it didn’t have to be that way.

We started searching for better solutions.

We had to change our food philosophy.

We started cooking and eating chemical-free.

And I mean no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or colors.

Giving up M&Ms was really hard, y’all.

We simplified.

It sure made grocery shopping easier and quicker.

We said no a lot in the beginning until we and the kids learned what we shouldn’t buy and eat. It was easier for our youngest kids who never knew any differently.

We made our own bread, with our littles alongside, watching and helping and learning.

We cooked meals and treats from scratch, with little hands chopping and stirring and helping.

And yes, I can tell you that no one in our family takes prescription meds, but that’s our lifestyle, choice, and doctor recommendation. It might not work for you or your family, so please don’t stop taking something you may need. I don’t recommend that at all. That’s just dangerous.

My husband tapered off his meds over a couple years under doctors monitoring his health and lab results. He lost lots of weight and we became much more active and outdoorsy as a family. Yeah, we got into essential oils and natural health too.

Food really can heal, but not without exercise, nature time, and many other factors. There’s still so much we don’t understand about the human body.

We went way too far in the other direction but now we’re more balanced.

I occasionally even buy and eat M&Ms. And I must have my Starburst jelly beans at Easter. We like Cheetos and Doritos occasionally.

We try to make good choices, but we’re not legalistic about food.

Kids learn to cook by example.

Sure, it’s often easier for me to make a meal or treat without helping hands. But I want to also make memories. I want a legacy of wonderful smells and memories in the kitchen. Like I had with my grandma.

Cooking together as a family is a spiritual experience.

My toddler son often didn’t want to wait and I once found him in the kitchen with his stool at the counter, chopping garlic cloves and potatoes for himself with his little Kinder knife. He wanted mashed potatoes right now.

So, that was a scary moment and we had to request he wait for us and ask for help.

I have started compiling recipe binders for my kids as keepsakes of our favorite family recipes for them.

Teaching Kids to Cook

Teaching Kids to Cook

We don’t often give cooking lessons; it just comes naturally as we’re often together in the kitchen.

Babies

Exposure. Babies naturally want to be with us. We need to prepare meals. I often wore my babies while prepping and cooking, as long as there was no danger, like hot oil. I narrated what I was doing or sometimes, they would fall asleep to the motion.

Toddlers

As soon as babies are able to sit in the high chair, I would have them as close to the action as we could. I would narrate and allow them to “help” with safe tools or playing with food and safe utensils.

I have some favorite kitchen tools for kids. We like to teach with real tools.

They love to be a part of daily life. We shouldn’t isolate them for our ease.

We often make things for fun that are perfect for training little chefs – cookies, simple treats, snacks.

Preschoolers

This is such a fun time. My kids would love to help in the kitchen. And they’re able to really help from age 3-5.

They love to help measure and add ingredients.

They love to mix the dough or batter for breads, cakes, and cookies.

I do the heavy lifting and the getting out of the oven part.

I love to watch their proud faces when they help in the kitchen.

We have a Montessori philosophy to cooking and meal times. The kids do everything they can by themselves with real tools, or smaller versions of real tools. Sure, there are messes and mistakes. We can clean that up, and protecting little hearts while learning is more important than a spill.

Elementary

My kids became quite independent in the kitchen at about age 8.

We’ve worked on practical lessons like reading recipes and learning fractions with measuring ingredients.

I’ve narrated and taught by example which flavors work well, allowing them to sometimes experiment with spices and herbs.

Making eggs, real mashed potatoes, box couscous or mac and cheese, milkshakes or smoothies in the blender are great early skills.

Timing the making of different items for a breakfast that’s fresh and hot is a great skill to practice.

Super easy to make rice in the rice cooker.

They can help prep and set the slow cooker.

The bread machine is another great tool, and we often use it for dough.

Check out my kitchen essentials. We believe working with the best tools we can afford.

My son is becoming a master on the grill. He now supervises me!

I made them each a recipe binder with our favorite recipes and we add to it frequently.

Middle School

My youngest daughter is quite the baker, making breakfast muffins and cakes quite frequently.

My middle daughter can make a full meal with almost no help or supervision. It’s amazing and so helpful when things get hectic in our schedule.

My eldest daughter has perfected the Coca-Cola cake.

I give guidance and offer tips as we dance around the kitchen together, making treats and meals. They have more freedom and choices. They have preferences. I’m becoming their assistant and coach.

High School

Teens need to develop life skills before they’re on their own – to college or workforce.

The goal is having successful and independent cooks as they enter adulthood.

I don’t want my kids having to live on ramen, mac and cheese, frozen dinners, or takeout because they don’t know how to navigate a kitchen.

Basic cooking skills I want my kids to learn:

  1. Basic knife skills.
  2. Food safety.
  3. Separate egg yolk and white.
  4. Hard boil an egg.
  5. Basic omelette.
  6. Knead dough.
  7. Homemade salad dressing.
  8. Cook pasta well – al dente.
  9. Melt baking chocolate.
  10. Bake a potato.
  11. Roast a whole chicken. or turkey. or pork. or beef. or veggies.
  12. Make meat stock – as the basis for soups and other recipes.
  13. The 5 mother sauces.
  14. Make rice – in a pan or pot. Great for Spanish or Asian flavors.
  15. Cook the perfect steak – indoors or on the outdoor grill. (If you want a steak well-done, just have chicken.)

These skills are the cornerstones of cooking.

There are a few skills that I didn’t include.

My kids long ago learned how to make batter for various recipes.

Not many people need or want to know how to make the perfect cocktail.

I don’t even know (or care to know) how to make a poached egg. My husband and middle daughter do – for their eggs Benedict.

Not many are into canning and preserving. We have canned tomato sauce and applesauce.

We follow our interests, constantly improving and learning.

I didn’t have most of these skills until I had been married a few years and got interested in watching food shows in the evenings and wanted to eat and cook healthier real food from scratch. There is a plethora of information on the Internet to teach these skills and more.

How did you learn to cook? How do you teach your kids how to cook?

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Filed Under: Homeschool Tagged With: homemaking, homeschool

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Comments

  1. Michele Morin says

    February 18, 2019 at 11:19 am

    Some of my best memories with my kids (and now my grandkids) happen in the kitchen!

    Reply
  2. The Real Cie says

    February 18, 2019 at 11:27 am

    My mother started teaching me to cook when I was 7 years old. I think it’s a great skill to develop early on, and I would hope that these days people would be wise enough to teach it to both boys and girls rather than abiding by the old, sexist idea that boys will find a wife to do the domestic work for them.

    Reply
    • Jennifer says

      February 22, 2019 at 10:23 am

      My son LOVES helping in the kitchen!

      Reply
  3. Rebecca Hastings says

    February 18, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    Teaching kids to cook is so important! And it is lacking for sure. I struggle with the patience needed to make it happen (at least when they were little) but I’m finding it much easier now in the middle school years. I’m working on letting go and letting them do it (even if it’s not quite right) so they can learn.

    Reply
  4. Danell says

    February 19, 2019 at 9:29 am

    Fun! my three love to cook with me.

    Reply
  5. Ginger Harrington says

    February 19, 2019 at 9:36 am

    I love cooking with my kids. Some of my best conversations with my son (now 25) happen when we cook together!

    Reply
    • Jennifer says

      February 22, 2019 at 10:23 am

      yes, I love those convos!

      Reply
  6. Emily | To Unearth says

    February 19, 2019 at 9:42 am

    Love this! What great tips for each age! I remember loving the times when my mom would have me help her cook. And then I also loved when she gave me the responsibility fully to cook a meal for our family of seven. I rarely buy meals, as I’m now trained that making things yourself can be SO much healthier! Enjoyed being your neighbor on #GraceFullTuesday today. :)

    Reply
  7. Janis says

    February 19, 2019 at 10:04 am

    I love this article. My granddaughter just turned 3 months old. I’m already dreaming of making her an apron this Christmas like the one I have of my grandma’s. And, cooking with her. I’m Norwegian and can’t wait to teach her about her heritage. 😍

    Reply
    • Jennifer says

      February 22, 2019 at 10:22 am

      Will you be my grandma too?

      Reply
  8. Jessi's Design says

    February 20, 2019 at 1:04 pm

    Love this! Miss A loves to be in the kitchen with me!

    Reply
  9. Mother of 3 says

    February 21, 2019 at 5:17 pm

    My mom had me cooking dinner most nights when I was in middle/high school. She often worked late and since I liked being in the kitchen it was my chore to get dinner started. I was so thankful for those skills when I moved out of the home and have been teaching my boys to cook too. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Encouraging Hearts and Home. Pinned.

    Reply
  10. Rebecca | Confessions of Parenting says

    February 21, 2019 at 10:36 pm

    I love how you gave the reasons why cooking with your kids is important and organized it by age group and gave examples for each. It made it so much easier to read and your ideas are wonderful. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jennifer says

      February 22, 2019 at 10:23 am

      aw, thanks!

      Reply
  11. Alice c says

    February 22, 2019 at 11:03 am

    Your post has inspired me to let my own 4 & 5 year olds help out in the kitchen. I know they want to abs they can help out with the easy stuff like adding ingredients. I did let them make their own cookies, they got to form the dough.

    Reply
  12. Jean | Delightful Repast says

    February 22, 2019 at 12:09 pm

    Jennifer, I was so happy to see this link on #PrettyPintastic. Then to come over and find such a comprehensive and well-written treatment of this subject that is dear to my heart, well, I’m thrilled! Pinning and Tweeting.

    Reply
  13. sue says

    February 22, 2019 at 12:15 pm

    Excellent and inspiring. I taught myself. The kids are learning. One’s taking a course at the SF school of cooking with her boyfriend. I’ll make her cook when she comes home to visit! (Always learning)

    Reply
  14. ~Karrilee~ says

    February 23, 2019 at 9:26 pm

    I love this Jennifer! We did this with our Girlie and can not wait to do it with our granddaughter, too!

    Reply
  15. Emma says

    February 25, 2019 at 5:31 pm

    My boys love to help out in the kitchen! We also keep hens, and we grow our own veggies. It’s important they learn where their food comes from too. Thanks for sharing, some really good tips here. #blogcrush

    Reply
    • Jennifer says

      February 26, 2019 at 9:46 am

      Yes! We used to have a garden and we miss it!

      Reply
  16. Lucy At Home says

    February 27, 2019 at 5:49 am

    I moved out from my parents’ home with ZERO cooking skills and had to pretty much rely on tinned soup and fish fingers to keep me going. But when I gave birth to my daughter, I was determined to give her healthy food, so I taught myself to cook from scratch. 8 years on, I still wouldn’t call myself a cook, but I put together healthy meals and encourage my kids to help me out. I don’t want them to be in the same position as I was. Thank you for your break down of what kitchen responsibilities are appropriate for what age groups.

    And congratulations because someone enjoyed your blog post so much, they added it to the BlogCrush linky for you. Hurray! Feel free to pop over and collect your “I’ve been featured” blog badge #blogcrush

    Reply
    • Jennifer says

      February 27, 2019 at 9:31 am

      I kept wondering about that blogcrush! I think the goal is just to provide healthy meals, not be a Michelin star chef.

      Reply
  17. Amy @ The Quiet Homemaker says

    February 27, 2019 at 7:45 am

    Such a great resource! In this take out and “fast” food world, it is such a needed thing for our children to learn how to cook!

    Thanks for linking up @LiveLifeWell!

    Blessings,

    Amy

    Reply
  18. Tina at Mommynificent says

    March 7, 2019 at 9:23 pm

    I love cooking with my kids! Thanks for being a part of Booknificent Thursday this month at Mommynificent.com! It’s a pleasure visiting your blog!
    Tina

    Reply

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