In the previous article we have encouraged you with some ideas on how to spend more quality time with your child (tu można by było dać przekierowanie do linku z tamtym artykułem). We hope it was useful and blow a bit of fresh air into the way of spending your family time together. This article will give you more specific ideas on baking and cooking together with your kid.
Christmas’s coming. This is a great opportunity to try out cooking together. The smell of homemade gingerbread cookies and tangerines fill us up with the spirit of this special holiday. Having some days off and no idea how to have fun, we are eager to convince you to this idea
There’s no point in denying that cooking with children requires time, patience, and some extra clean-up especially when the children are younger. But instead of focusing on drawbacks, let us present you the main advantages of cooking with children.
1. Good health habits
Children learn from us what is good and what is bad. Not only as to behaviour but also to consumption. That’s why there’s no point in explaining that something is unhealthy and relish it the next day or trying to encourage to eat some wholesome food and never have it during family meals.
Additionally kids are more likely to eat food they have prepared, even if they refused to try it before. Seeing, smelling, touching and trying the products makes them acquainted with it and thanks it not afraid of eating it in the ready- made meal.
But on the other hand remember that everyone has a right to have different tastes and dislike some specific food. Give a child free hand to express his or her opinions and try to respect them
2. Skills
Cooking is not an easy task. There are many adults who are not able to cook or had to learn in while growing up. That’s why thanks family cooking a children can acquire this skill in a very early stage of their life. Cutting, peeling, slicing, rubbing, rolling, kneading… There are so many activities which take place in a kitchen. Seems to be obvious, but everyone had to learn It before to do it properly.
Teaching all this skills is also not an easy task, demanding patience and consideration. But think of all this delicious meals your kid can make for her or himself and… you. Imagine all this impressed mothers-in-low watching your son or daughter in action, preparing the three course meal. Isn’t it worth it?
3. Self-confidence
This point is straight connected with learnt skills. New abilities leads to sense of being able to do something what is a great part of domestic life. That is why do not hesitate to praise your child and let her or him feel that you really appreciate the help. A good and simple idea is to name the dish after your son or daughter. It will boost the pride and encourage to eat the whole meal.
4. Strengthen family bonds
Any quality time spent together with your child strengths the family bonds. There’s only one condition to fulfil. It must be a pleasure for both- a kid and you. If the child feels that you are in a hurry, angry, stressed, not interested in what you are doing, he or she won’t feel good either. That’s why remember not to force yourself or your child to cook together. It is supposed to be fun and nice time. Make sure nothing and nobody will bother you and then enjoy your time together. Speak, explain, teach as much as possible. But without forcing yourself and your pre-schooler to do anything you both don’t want to do
5. Convince fussy eater
Children especially at that age are really picky about food. Vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products,… are simply yucky for them and there’s no possibility to encourage them to try it. And even if they do and it tastes them, they will rarely admit it
But what if they use it by themselves... For example to cook spaghetti Bolognese we need tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, spices… A lot of dislikes products. But many kids love this meal and thanks watching the way it’s prepared they are more likely to develop a taste to it.
Other idea is to make funny sandwiches that contain vegetables, dairy, meat and other disliked products. Remembering that kids also are eager to eat what looks nice, such sandwiches are great to begin encouraging to have healthy meals and snacks. The internet is full of interesting ideas. So just by googling it out you will find many inspirations.
Christmas’s coming. This is a great opportunity to try out cooking together. The smell of homemade gingerbread cookies and tangerines fill us up with the spirit of this special holiday. Having some days off and no idea how to have fun, we are eager to convince you to this idea
There’s no point in denying that cooking with children requires time, patience, and some extra clean-up especially when the children are younger. But instead of focusing on drawbacks, let us present you the main advantages of cooking with children.
1. Good health habits
Children learn from us what is good and what is bad. Not only as to behaviour but also to consumption. That’s why there’s no point in explaining that something is unhealthy and relish it the next day or trying to encourage to eat some wholesome food and never have it during family meals.
Additionally kids are more likely to eat food they have prepared, even if they refused to try it before. Seeing, smelling, touching and trying the products makes them acquainted with it and thanks it not afraid of eating it in the ready- made meal.
But on the other hand remember that everyone has a right to have different tastes and dislike some specific food. Give a child free hand to express his or her opinions and try to respect them
2. Skills
Cooking is not an easy task. There are many adults who are not able to cook or had to learn in while growing up. That’s why thanks family cooking a children can acquire this skill in a very early stage of their life. Cutting, peeling, slicing, rubbing, rolling, kneading… There are so many activities which take place in a kitchen. Seems to be obvious, but everyone had to learn It before to do it properly.
Teaching all this skills is also not an easy task, demanding patience and consideration. But think of all this delicious meals your kid can make for her or himself and… you. Imagine all this impressed mothers-in-low watching your son or daughter in action, preparing the three course meal. Isn’t it worth it?
3. Self-confidence
This point is straight connected with learnt skills. New abilities leads to sense of being able to do something what is a great part of domestic life. That is why do not hesitate to praise your child and let her or him feel that you really appreciate the help. A good and simple idea is to name the dish after your son or daughter. It will boost the pride and encourage to eat the whole meal.
4. Strengthen family bonds
Any quality time spent together with your child strengths the family bonds. There’s only one condition to fulfil. It must be a pleasure for both- a kid and you. If the child feels that you are in a hurry, angry, stressed, not interested in what you are doing, he or she won’t feel good either. That’s why remember not to force yourself or your child to cook together. It is supposed to be fun and nice time. Make sure nothing and nobody will bother you and then enjoy your time together. Speak, explain, teach as much as possible. But without forcing yourself and your pre-schooler to do anything you both don’t want to do
5. Convince fussy eater
Children especially at that age are really picky about food. Vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products,… are simply yucky for them and there’s no possibility to encourage them to try it. And even if they do and it tastes them, they will rarely admit it
But what if they use it by themselves... For example to cook spaghetti Bolognese we need tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, spices… A lot of dislikes products. But many kids love this meal and thanks watching the way it’s prepared they are more likely to develop a taste to it.
Other idea is to make funny sandwiches that contain vegetables, dairy, meat and other disliked products. Remembering that kids also are eager to eat what looks nice, such sandwiches are great to begin encouraging to have healthy meals and snacks. The internet is full of interesting ideas. So just by googling it out you will find many inspirations.
6. General knowledge, abilities and concepts
To cook anything you want, you need to know the recipe. You can have it in your mind or read it. That is why while cooking kids can not only practice their memory, but also notice and appreciate the need of reading skills in order to get the instructions.
What’s more in cooking there are many elements of mathematic. Adding, taking away, dividing, proportions, fractions. Everything about numbers and its’ real use.
Cooking and baking is also very often time-consuming. But the advantage of this fact is a possibility to learn the time concept. Setting, checking the time, experience of feeling the passing of time. All of it is a significant ability in human’s life that can be taught at home.
Normally not many adults think about using live science in a kitchen. But cooking is full of science and chemical reactions. Beginning with boiling water, finishing on using power to knead the dough. Additionally there are many opportunities to ask and answer such questions as: What happens if you forget to add baking powder to your banana bread? Why do you add salt to cookie dough? Do you know? Not? So it’s a great chance to think about it and check
7. Creativity
Cooking generally speaking is a craft. You have a recipe and the only task it to follow further steps. But cooking might be also some kind of art. Cooking with children especially. Because they have a lot of great and innovative ideas you would never think of. That’s why in the kitchen allow the imagination run wild. It can be much more enjoyable and full of new experience time for you both. And even if the new idea will go off at half cock, it really shouldn’t really matter. Because time spent with your child supposed to teach all of you not only how to succeed but also from time to time how to fail
If you have had any doubts about cooking or baking with your child, we hope we just have dispelled them. We hope that trying out this kind of spending quality time with your kid will give all of you a lot of pleasure and fun.
To be up to date with new ideas, follow us on Facebook and our blog.
To cook anything you want, you need to know the recipe. You can have it in your mind or read it. That is why while cooking kids can not only practice their memory, but also notice and appreciate the need of reading skills in order to get the instructions.
What’s more in cooking there are many elements of mathematic. Adding, taking away, dividing, proportions, fractions. Everything about numbers and its’ real use.
Cooking and baking is also very often time-consuming. But the advantage of this fact is a possibility to learn the time concept. Setting, checking the time, experience of feeling the passing of time. All of it is a significant ability in human’s life that can be taught at home.
Normally not many adults think about using live science in a kitchen. But cooking is full of science and chemical reactions. Beginning with boiling water, finishing on using power to knead the dough. Additionally there are many opportunities to ask and answer such questions as: What happens if you forget to add baking powder to your banana bread? Why do you add salt to cookie dough? Do you know? Not? So it’s a great chance to think about it and check
7. Creativity
Cooking generally speaking is a craft. You have a recipe and the only task it to follow further steps. But cooking might be also some kind of art. Cooking with children especially. Because they have a lot of great and innovative ideas you would never think of. That’s why in the kitchen allow the imagination run wild. It can be much more enjoyable and full of new experience time for you both. And even if the new idea will go off at half cock, it really shouldn’t really matter. Because time spent with your child supposed to teach all of you not only how to succeed but also from time to time how to fail
If you have had any doubts about cooking or baking with your child, we hope we just have dispelled them. We hope that trying out this kind of spending quality time with your kid will give all of you a lot of pleasure and fun.
To be up to date with new ideas, follow us on Facebook and our blog.
To be up to date with new ideas, follow us on Facebook and our blog.
Autor: Anna
Absolwentka studiów licencjackich Pedagogika Przedszkolna i Wczesnoszkolna oraz studiów magisterskich ze specjalizacją Wczesne Nauczanie Języka Angielskiego na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim.
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