How To Engage Your Child in Helping Cook Dinners

How To Engage Your Child in Helping Cook Dinner

We know that eating together as a family has benefits for everyone involved. But what about making dinner? It can often times feel like a chore at the end of a long day and someone is bound to complain about the broccoli that you are serving. Instead of fighting them on what is being served for dinner, ask them to help. Getting their help in the kitchen will give them buy in to enjoy the dinner that they worked to provide as well.

Grab a stool and put your little ones in front of the stove – after talking about fire safety – and give them a big wooden spoon. If you’re making pasta ask them to stir it to make sure that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. This is a great low risk first step to getting kids involved in making dinner, and leave them wanting to help more as they get older.

Have your kiddos rinse off some lettuce and tear it up into little bite sized pieces for the whole family. This will help your children to enjoy the vegetables that you are putting on the table because they had a hand in putting it there. Let them chose what kinds of veggies to put in it or add a fun cheese that doesn’t require any cutting if they aren’t ready to use a knife yet. Sneak in some extra protein with seasoned nuts or seeds for some extra crunch also. Give them the dressing portioned out in a cup so they can toss the salad and put it in the bowls.

Cut up bread and put it in a basket for the whole family to enjoy. If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to white bread, go for a whole grain or seeded bread to increase the whole family’s fiber intake. You can also make it at home so that you know exactly what is going into the bread your family eats – and make healthy substitutions.

You know your child better than anyone else, so if you feel like your child is ready to start chopping then by all means help them to understand how to chop carefully. Put one of your hands on the vegetable they should be chopping and one on their hand and guide them through chopping a vegetable.

Making soup? Have your child measure out the two cups of chicken broth that it needs. They can make this job all theirs. From getting the broth out of the cupboard, to opening it, pouring it into the pot, and then stirring it in. Your child has just contributed a major component to the meal!

Making dinner together is a great way to unwind after a long day and it teaches your kids some really important life skills. They will be prepared for when one day they aren’t at home anymore and you’re sending them off to college with the ability to make a signature dish to keep them and their friends happy and healthy.

Teach your kids about knife safety and how to be smart in the kitchen and they can do almost anything you need help with. Instead of being afraid of the knife, if you teach them how to use it properly, they can become little chefs in no time. Remember that your kids are so capable of helping and it should be a fun time to work together and talk. Using all of these tips will help dinners a family event even more than just sitting down and having dinner, but will get the whole family working together. Who knows, before long your little one will be all grown up and ready to make you dinner!