YOUR CHILD SHOULD BE IN THE KITCHEN

I don’t know about your family, but around here, we LOVE to cook and bake! Letting our kids be a part of the “food process” in our home has always been a priority from the time my oldest was very little. There were quite a few reasons we did this:
1. Research is very clear that if we help children be a part of the process of growing, cooking, and preparing their own healthy food choices, they’re more likely to make those healthy choices for the rest of their lives.
2. I wanted my children to be able to be as independent as possible in preparing healthy meals for themselves (especially since I have two sons). I’d seen first hand too many of my friends who went off to college and didn’t have the first clue of how to cook anything other than Top Ramen because their moms always cooked for them, not WITH them.
3. In my family, food is what brought us together. I grew up in a family of farmers and military servicemen – we were BUSY people. But we always gathered around the dinner table together and bonded at the end of the day. Continuing this tradition was important to me.
And last, but certainly not least, growing and preparing food provides SO many learning opportunities, especially for young children!
Every subject area that you can think of can be taught through food preparation! Let’s explore some of those possibilities:
– Math: This is a BIG one. So much math happens in the kitchen! Measuring, temperatures, fractions, counting…. your child can learn a lot of useful math skills in the kitchen!
– Reading: Of course there is reading the recipes, reading seed packets to determine how to grow vegetables in the best way, reading ingredients. But there is also the opportunity to incorporate literature into lots of the meals and foods that you prepare. This is something that I have incorporated in my curriculum, A Child’s World, as a part of every theme!
– Science: Another big one here! Obviously growing even a small garden provides plenty of opportunity for science exploration, but the kitchen is filled with science as well! Evaporation, baked goods rising, boiling, freezing, melting…. think of the possibilities for discussion and exploration!
– Social Studies/History/Geography: Now you wouldn’t think this right away, but one of the most important things about a culture is its food. If you take the time to do the research, you can learn so much about a different part of the world and the cultures there just from the food you eat!
Now what’s the key to all of this learning? DISCUSSION! You have to be willing to take the time to invite your child into the kitchen and talk with them as you are cooking. Sure, sometimes it makes a mess, and sometimes it takes a lot longer to prepare a meal… but the benefits to your child are SO worth the effort.
source: Your Natural Learner