If you’re a stressed-out mom with a million and one things you need to do, then cooking with the family might not be your idea of bliss! With demanding mouths, picky pallets, and tired family members, it can feel like an unnecessary chore to try and get everyone motivated and stuck in with dinner prep… Not to mention the inevitable mess that comes from cooking with kids!
But no matter how much effort it might seem, once you get your children inspired by cooking, you might find it actually helps make mealtime a bit more fun. Not to mention means you don’t need to do everything by yourself!
Benefits of family meals
Getting the whole family involved with making dinner is so beneficial for everyone involved. Not only can it bring the family closer together (preferably free from television or cell phones), but it can also make your kids feel more included and valued.
Some of the key benefits of cooking together as a family includes:
- It’s an essential life skill
Teaching children to cook makes them more well-rounded adults who can fend for themselves. No, your kids aren’t likely to starve if they can’t cook, but they will save a fortune if they can create delicious dishes from scratch, and it’s a great tool to impress with!
- It’s a bonding opportunity
With swim class, soccer, work, school, homework, parents’ evening, and everything else, it can be tough to find time for quality family time. Getting the family together to cook provides an excellent opportunity to bond while creating something fantastic and delicious.
- It encourages healthy eating
Teaching your kids about different food groups and how to prepare tasty yet healthy dinners will help them learn to make healthier choices as they get older. It can also reduce the risk of diseases, including obesity, heart disease, and more.
- It reduces the risk of substance abuse
Although this might seem like a stretch, numerous studies show a link between children who cook and eat with their families and reduced substance abuse risks. Stay off drugs and in the kitchen!
- It improves academic performance
Again, this might sound far-fetched, but think about the skills needed in cooking… There’s reading the recipe (reading), weighing ingredients (maths), providing and following instructions (social skills), and more. These skills will help your kids in school and in later life.
- It can help your kids get more adventurous with food
When children are involved in cooking and meal planning, they may be more willing to try new things. A job well done can build their confidence and make them less afraid of that ‘weird green thing’ they put in themselves!
Tips for cooking with the family
If you’re ready to start a wonderful family tradition of preparing meals together as a family, follow our top tips to make it less of an ordeal.
We won’t lie to you… the first few attempts of cooking with kids can be stressful! There will be mess, and it will be slow… But we promise it gets easier as your children develop the necessary skills to thrive in the kitchen. They might even help with clean-up!
Give age-appropriate tasks
No, your toddler should not be chopping vegetables or flipping pancakes, but nor should your 10-year old be given just the basic tasks. Give your kids kitchen jobs that suit their abilities yet provide a little challenge and increase their responsibility in the kitchen as they get older. Momables has a great guide on age-appropriate kitchen tasks for kids if you have no idea where to start. Otherwise, it’s really down to you and your children.
Provide encouragement
If you drag unwilling children into the kitchen only to tell them everything they do is wrong, you’re going to end up with a miserable family and could even put your kids off cooking for life! If you don’t have the energy to teach your toddler how to crack eggs: don’t bother. Speaking to your kids with positivity and encouragement will go a long way… You might be surprised how quickly your children transform into mini chefs!
Take your time
By transforming dinner preparation into family time, you need to be ready for the whole process to take a little longer. You can speed things up by completing some prep ahead of time (like pre-dicing chicken, for example, or sticking everything in an Uno Casa Dutch oven or slow cooker). Otherwise, you’ll need to show patience and understanding and be prepared for everything to take a little longer while your kids are learning.
It’s okay to make a mess
We all know we shouldn’t cry over spilled milk, dripped sauce, or flour storms. Yes, cooking with the family is messy, but kitchen messes will reduce as your kids get more skilled in the kitchen. Encourage kids to clean up, too, for even more life-skill-leaning. They could help you with the washing up, loading/unloading the dishwasher, or you all do a quick clean while dinner is in the oven. Whatever works best, be sure to get the kids involved in EVERY step of the process.
Involve the family in meal planning
No, this doesn’t mean having ice cream for dinner! But allowing your children a say in what’s for dinner can help them feel involved and valued. They’re also likely to be more willing to help out with cooking if you’re all making a meal that they chose. There are loads of excellent resources online to assist with meal planning with children. We particularly like this one for helping your kids create a balanced meal plan.
