Creat e an Experience with the Art of Cooking
Teaching children how to cook is as important as eating together as a family and eating healthy delicious food. Cooking is a necessary life skill, teaching children the process of cooking allows them to understand the steps from the farm, shop, chopping board to the plate.
Make the process easy by picking a simple recipe, before you start to cook read the recipe a couple of times and familiarise yourself. Create an experience by making a shopping list, going shopping and buying the ingredients. prepare the ingredients, utensils and area before you begin to ensure you have your attention with your child at all times whilst cooking.
Talking through each step with your child will help them to stay involved and focused. name each ingredient, tell them more information about the ingredient and the cooking process. Create excitement with each step e.g. Mashing, cracking, mixing.
Allow enough time to cook and eat, eating what you have made gives great satisfaction- a bonding experience you both share. Soon enough this act of giving and sharing will become addictive.