Stress Free Cooking with Kids

Stress free cooking and kids – sounds like the two don’t blend well in the same sentence. But, give them a chance. Cooking with kids could be more enjoyable and less stressful than you might imagine. Here are a few tips for making cooking with kids, or even your spouse, more enjoyable and less stressful.

Delegate Tasks

Children begin to learn to follow direction and duplicate tasks at the age of four. This is a great opportunity to begin working with them on following orders by delegating simple tasks. Kids can perform simple tasks, like peeling potatoes, with supervision of course. Fetching certain items for you can also save you time in the kitchen, and they’ll be happy to know they’re contributing to dinner.

Since adults spend so much time in the kitchen, kids want to be there too. They’ll certainly feel more like part of the family, since they’re accustomed to the kitchen being reserved for “big people.” Giving them things to do to help out builds their confidence and teaches them important things about kitchen safety. When they get older, you’ll find yourself spending less time training and more time enjoying the fruits of their labor in the kitchen.

Use Kid-Safe Devices

Delegating tasks to kids might initially cause you to be aware of what they’re doing, but having the proper tools and utensils on hand will help minimize your stress level considerably. These are some of the tools and gadgets you should have on hand to make working with kids in the kitchen as painless as possible:

1. Plastic or porcelain knives – will cut vegetables, not fingers.

2. Self-contained vegetable chopper – kids will get to pound on something while dicing vegetables, which is often a big help with recipes.

3. Garlic peeler and garlic press – forget the smash and peel method; let your kids roll the skin off first, then squeeze the garlic until it turns to a semi-mush.

4. Wooden stirring utensils – wooden utensils work on all surfaces, and there’s no need to worry about scratching non-stick skillets.

5. Small skillets and pans (good for little hands) – smaller 5”-7” pans are great for kid-size hands, which helps them learn temperature settings and how to handle pots and pans properly.

Have Them Clean Up Afterwards

Cooking with kids isn’t stressful until it is time to clean up, but like all other aspects of making meals, it must be done. Once again, delegate some of the work to your kids and relieve some of the stress involved. One person could wipe scraps into the trash while another rinses plates off before handing them to you. When you approach things this way, cleaning up actually becomes a fun experience they’ll want to be a part of.

Cooking with your kids can be a time for fun and togetherness. With a little foresight and careful planning, as well as the right tools and a good attitude, you can make the experience worthwhile for everyone involved. Let your little ones help with preparing meals. Put a peeler in their hand and watch your stress levels peel away as easily as the skin of a potato.

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