Photo Credit: JFXie
Many of us are switching on to the Great British Bake Off, every Wednesday, and for some it is igniting a desire to leave the sofa once the show is over and get into the kitchen, to attempt a giant loaf of bread that looks like a lion or a stunning pie design.
But we should also be encouraging youngsters to do the same, to get in the kitchen and try their hand at creating something delicious. Why? Well, here are just a few reasons:
It can improve self-confidence
Allowing your child to try out their skills in the kitchen will improve their confidence when it comes to food. They will know that the great-tasting dish served up at the end and enjoyed by the whole family was made partly by them and that they can help in the kitchen.
It can improve communication
Introducing children to a kitchen environment from a young age can help develop their communication skills, as well as improving their recognition of the five senses. Kids can smell, touch, taste, hear and see all the incredible flavours, shapes, textures and sounds that come with cooking food.
Make pizza from scratch and encourage them to beat the dough and shape it or have them help to mix a cake batter from its original ingredients into the sloppy mixture ready to put in the oven. Ask them what is happening and get them to describe what they are experiencing.
It can inspire them for the future
Your child might not be the next Jamie Oliver (or maybe they will, who knows?) but cooking from an early age can still inspire them to seek out caterer jobs and careers in food in the future. It’s important that you inspire children from an early age and introduce them to lots of new and exciting things, and cooking can be just one of these along with reading, writing and music.
It can help with their eating habits
It’s no secret that many kids are notoriously fussy, throwing tantrums because they want to eat chips and chicken nuggets and tomato ketchup every night instead of a healthy meal packed with veg. Encouraging kids to cook from an early age can improve their thoughts on certain foods and get them tasting more things.
Employ them in the kitchen with the task of washing potatoes or for older kids, carefully cutting vegetables (under adult supervision and guidance) and get them to taste the raw, tasty stuff as they go.
It can bring the whole family closer together
If your child has been helping in the kitchen it might prompt everyone in the home to sit down together to try the food they’ve created – remember to encourage positive responses to the food and praise your youngster for their hard work.
Get your kids in the kitchen, let them catch the baking bug and watch as they grow as individuals and you also won’t feel so terrified about sending them away to university when they reach the age of 18 with only packets of noodles in tow.