Do you cook with your children?

 

My children love to cook.  I already told here about my eldest, Hizki, who has just turned 11.  He already cooks things by himself:  He makes himself pasta, fries schnitzel and potatoe chips, eggs, and more.  Of course when he’s finished the kitchen looks like a disaster, but never mind.  It is already better than the way he would leave the kitchen a few months ago.  Now he usually remembers to put the dirty dishes in the sink,  it is only the pans and the kitchen counter and floor that are left disastrous.

 

My two younger kids, Miriam and Bentzi, love cooking too.  They especially love to bake (I added too many pounds from the cakes we bake together).  Mainly we bake together chocolate cakes, with various toppings.  But more and more they ask to help me also in other cooking:  They are afraid of the hot oil, but still want to try and put the pancakes in the pan, or the eggs.  They help mixing whatever ingredients are supposed to go in the dish I am making.

 

It is such a joy to cook with them.  It is nice quality time together, in which we all enjoy each others company, and do something useful too.  It is time we can also talk to each other and actually see each others face;  otherwise they always like to talk about “heavy” topics in the car, when I cannot see their faces.  It is also a good time for them to learn various skills, such as measuring, cutting vegetables (excellent for fine motor skills) etc.

 

One thing to remember when cooking with kids is to try only simple recipes, otherwise they get bored and distracted too quickly.  Also, it is a good habbit to check beforehand you have all ingredients:  it has happened to me more than once that I had to leave them with the unfinished dish to run over to the grocery store and get whatever was missing.

 

What you do have to learn when cooking with kids is to let go – don’t be a control freak.  They won’t do everything exactly as you would.  The vegetables certainly won’t be cut the way you would.  The measures won’t be exactly what they are supposed too.  And of course the kitchen will get dirty.