Teaching Your Child to Be a Good Cook

First, children need to be taught the rules of the kitchen. These rules should include keeping the cooking area and their hands clean. It should also include safe cooking practices. One of the more important being cooking foods to the right temperature. Making sure that no raw meats come in contact with any other food that is being prepared is also very important to ensure the health and well being of everyone who will consume the food. Keeping raw foods away from cooked foods is another must when cooking.

Be sure to let them know that licking their fingers or repeated taste tests from the same spoon is not allowed because it can pass germs to other members of the family. They should never taste any food before is has been fully cooked. This is a cause for many types of illness. Children will be tempted to try that cookie dough, but we as adults know this can be very harmful. Explain to them that it will taste much better once it has been cooked and that it is much safer to wait.

Talk to the children about the appliances in the kitchen. This not only includes the stove and the oven, but all appliances. They need to know how they work and the safe way to handle each and every one of them. They also need to know the rules about sharp utensils and how to handle them from the minute they pick them up to the minute they are put away.

Be sure they understand the need for and proper use of hot pads and trivets. The biggest culprit for kitchen burns is touching those hot dishes. Also make them aware that they should never taste anything before it has cooled down nor should they try to pick up a utensil that has been lying near the burner on a stove. These types of things can cause serious burns. Give them advice on steam and hot cooking oil and how they can ensure they won’t be burnt by these types of items.

Explain the household safety rules should a cooking fire occur. Instill in them how important it is to not throw water on a kitchen fire. They should get an adult to take control of the situation. If the fire gets out of control everyone should leave the house and call 911.

Always read the recipes completely through. This will ensure that everything you need is ready and waiting when you begin to prepare the dish. It also will ensure that the food is cooked correctly and that you will get the best results both in preparation and cooking. Have them measure out ingredients ahead of time and explain to them how much faster it is if they put away the things they have already used when they are done with them instead of waiting until later on.

Clean up is much easier if it is done as you do the work. Washing the counters as you work is not only easier, but much safer too. Doing dishes as you finish using them will help keep any frustration at bay. Waiting until everything is finished to clean up, including the eating of the meal, just means longer time in the kitchen. When you’re full of a good meal, who wants to clean up the mess or take the chance of getting lazy from a full belly and not cleaning up at all.

Cooking with your children can be fun. It shows them you have trust in them and gives you some one on one time you might not be able to find at any other time of the day. Giving them some responsibility can make a big difference in how they feel about themselves. Who knows you might not be doing much of the cooking any more. They may find it’s more fun to cook than to watch TV. Wouldn’t that be one for the record books?

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