Safely include your children in the kitchen with these tips

Safely include your children in the kitchen with these tips (Photo: iStock)

It is every parent's dream to equip their children with all the necessary skills before they someday grow up and leave the nest.

Unlike the olden days when women were left to bear the brunt of cooking and housekeeping, today this is left to anyone capable of performing the task well.

From a young age, parents are encouraged to actively involve their children with house chores, but it is never quite clear when they can start cooking or handling fire on their own.

Here are steps on how you can slowly integrate your children into the kitchen from a young age:

Setting the table

Teaching your children how to cook takes time, and it is not something that can happen overnight.

You will need to start with lighter chores like setting the table for meals or clearing the table after meals. This way they can be part of the process but not directly involved.

Washing dishes

This is also another friendly way your kids can be in the kitchen without endangering themselves.

They can take turns in washing dishes and wiping them. It can also be an interesting time to have candid conversations with them and bond.

Helping with the menu

One of the hardest things to do in the house is to prepare a meal plan every day; no wonder some people like to cook their meals weekly.

Not only will your children actively participate in this area but you can also hold them accountable when they complain about meals.

Go for no-cook recipes

For instance, children can make their own cereal without supervision. You can also teach them how to make sandwiches or a bowl of salad - these do not necessarily need to be cooked.

While cutting the toppings, they can use blunt knives to avoid accidents.

Start with easy recipes

Next, you want to teach them how to cook meals that do not require them to spend a lot of time by the fire.

Meals like pasta and rice do not require them to hover around. They can also help you bake as they will only take part in the kneading process.

Tip: When you let your children be part of the kitchen, they learn to appreciate the effort it takes to prepare meals at an early stage.