The kitchen is, without a doubt, one of the greatest spots in the home for family time. It’s where you pend quality time whipping up your favorite foods, talk over tasty meals, and learn several lessons about cooking and life in general while you do it. It’s a great idea to consider the kitchen a place where you can spend lots of time with your kids, and make cooking a fun experience for both of you! The memories you make and the lessons you impart along the way will be priceless.
Make It a Habit
Your kid isn’t going to have a bunch of fun if time in the kitchen is completely foreign to him. Create a weekly ritual where you and your kid whip up a meal together; let him choose what to feed the family! Find a recipe together, and let him help you out in the kitchen. He’ll love and enjoy feeling very much a part of the process, and you’ll love teaching him what you learned from your parents. This will only work as a fun activity if you make it a habit, though. Start doing it weekly – say, every Thursday night, it’s a date night with you and your little buddy in the kitchen!
Give Them Some Jobs to Do
So, your child will likely not be the one pulling things in and out of the oven, or tossing pizza dough, or slicing veggies. There are certain age appropriate jobs you can always find to delegate, though, and even if it’s not done perfectly, you want him to feel included! For example, have him measure out ingredients for the pizza dough and add them to the mixing bowl. Once the mixing is done, lay it out and allow him to roll it flat with your rolling pin. He’ll feel like he’s contributing majorly to the meal, even though you’ve really supervised and taken care of the “big” things.
Crank Up the Tunes
Here’s where the silly fun comes in – music makes everything more fun! Don’t be afraid to put on your kids favorite kind of music, and sing along with him. Have a dance party while you cook! Music makes even the most lifeless tasks feel alive, so it will certainly bring the party to life in the kitchen!
Teach Them Safety, but Show Them Grace
Part of the appeal of cooking with your child is certainly the opportunity to impart wisdom and to teach them things that hopefully one day they’ll teach their kids. Cooking with them is also the prime time to teach them safety and to make sure they abide by your rules for their own benefit. At the same time, it’s a great opportunity for you to loosen up and to show them grace. Let your child lick the eggless batter from the bowl, even if it gets their face and their clothes sticky and dirty. Let them throw in an extra heap of chocolate chips. Let them make a mess! What’s the worst that could happen?
You’ll miss out on so many rich blessings if you skip out on cooking in the kitchen with your child. Make it a ritual that you both look forward to, give them a job to do, crank up the tunes, teach them safety and show them grace. You’ll treasure these memories forever!