Teaching your kids to cook is an investment of time and patience (a lot!) that will pay you back tenfold.

I would suggest bringing your children into the kitchen at the age of three or four. They are so cute and curious at that age. If they can hold a small wooden spoon in their tiny hands, they’re good to go.

Mixing cookie dough in a bowl (plastic or stainless steel), washing vegetables, beating scrambled eggs with a whisk, making chocolate milk in a plastic cup, dipping strawberries in chocolate, making mini meatballs (with clean hands of course ): all these things are great starters for the little ones.

As they get a bit older, making their own breakfast is a great second step. Not only does it give you time to get ready for work, it gives them confidence knowing they’re helping mom and dad through the morning rush hour. I think it encourages kids to appreciate having breakfast before school once they know they can cook it themselves.

A microwave oven is a must for 6 and 7 year olds to cook the first meal of the day. By teaching them that there is more to breakfast than the occasional bowl of cereal, they will be more likely to eat breakfast, that important meal of the day. Have them microwave scrambled eggs along with some pre-cooked sausage. They can heat up some pre-cooked pancakes that they made over the weekend and put in the freezer.

This is also a good age for children to start helping with dinner preparations. It is an excellent learning process. They are learning to read (recipes), do some math (quantities), and solve problems (“We don’t have that ingredient! What can we use as a substitute?”).

When you can help and encourage a child to help prepare a meal, more than just setting the table, it helps them realize their abilities, develop their dexterity, develop some pride in what they can accomplish, and what’s more importantly, help him become self-sufficient. enough. The latter will give him peace of mind knowing that her son will never go hungry because he wasn’t there to cook her a meal. And they know they won’t have to limit their diet to ramen sandwiches and pb&j when they’re away from home during those long college semesters.

I think the ultimate reason to teach your kids how to cook from a young age is that it gives you the chance to make memories. From broken eggs on the floor, flour covering faces, mistaking a teaspoon for a tablespoon, to making your first cake for Father’s Day or his birthday. Capture those moments in photos, in writing, in conversations around the table. Despite the cost of food these days, it can replace a glass of cracked milk, but you’ll never get back that first look of surprise (or relief) on your child’s face when you smile and offer to help clean it up and encourage them to do it. try again.

Children are a very special gift to us. Whether they are ours, or our nieces and nephews, or belong to your best friend. Treat them with kindness and respect. Give them a positive direction in life. Love them today like there is no tomorrow. You will sleep better at night and have help in the kitchen.