Some of you might think that cooking with your kids would take twice as much time, but once we came across these 13 benefits, we even wondered why we hadn’t thought of having the kids join us in our culinary world . Here are some of the benefits:
- Children, even babies, love to be in the kitchen with you. They are happy when they are near you and you talk (or you have to talk to them if they can’t yet) to watch what you are doing and connect with you.
- A baby’s mirror neurons allow it to watch what you are doing, duplicating the actions and emotions in its mind, even when it is sitting on the side of the table.
- When children see the transformation of raw food into delicious cooked meals and have input into it all, they see themselves as capable learners and the perception carries over to other endeavors.
- Studies show that when children participate in housework, starting at age three, they are more likely to complete their education, have successful careers, and enjoy good relationships with others.
- Children have a sensory memory, so to speak. They will remember the taste and smell of goat cheese to which they have added blueberries and chopped chives or cilantro. The touch and smell will imprint memories in their minds that years later they will remember and reminisce about with you in the kitchen.
- Counting carrots and measuring ingredients for recipes teaches children counting and math from a very young age, allowing for a better understanding of abstract math concepts.
- Reading the recipes helps children practice and learn to read.
- Cooking and tasting the results, a little later, gives very nice lessons in cause and effect and encourages the child to eat and enjoy the variety of foods.
- The pace of the kitchen is slower than the TV, computer or other aspects of our lives, so time spent in the kitchen helps both parents and children to slow down a little from the hectic everyday life and fully indulge in the moment together.
- Children who help in the kitchen learn useful skills such as how to prepare and combine foods, understand measuring and cooking time, and eventually start preparing simpler, then more complex meals. for my self.
- Children take pride and want to be involved in real work that involves solving real challenges.
- When a child is assigned the task of setting and preparing the table for example, they know that you are contributing to making dinner, which makes them feel good inside, one of the most important things you can do for your child.
- Food preparation is something special for which we must devote time and attention. When we start teaching children about food culture from an early age, we will create healthy and useful habits for life.
