COOKING WITH KIDS
by Lorae Bowden

Sarah came dejectedly home from the first day of “real cooking” in her sixth grade Home Economics class.
“It wasn’t what I thought,” she confessed. The first project – smoothies – had turned out wonderfully, but was too basic for an eleven-year-old who regularly bakes bread at home. What shocked her most, however, was that she had been the only member of her group who had ever hand-washed dishes. “They didn’t know that dishes should be washed in hot water,” she exclaimed, “or how much soap to use, or that the soap should be rinsed off.”

I sympathize with middle and high school home economics teachers who try to give a fulfilling experience to kids who can make a meal from scratch as well as kids who have never warmed up a TV dinner in the microwave – all in the same class period. Home economics classes are generally grade-based and not experience-based.
There are so many great extra-curricular options for improving our children that many parents don’t consider basic cooking and cleanup to be a priority for their kids. On the other hand, here are a few things to think about.

Lifetime Benefit
Kitchen skills will benefit our children their whole lives. Most of us put our kids in sports and dance and music because we want them to learn internal skills like sportsmanship, collaboration, communication, discipline, and determination – not because we expect them to be a pro ball player or prima ballerina or concertmistress. Because we know the physical skill is relatively short-lived, it takes second place to the character built. Cooking, menu planning, grocery shopping, and washing dishes, however, build character and useful skills that last a lifetime.

Cut the Grocery Bill
Teaching children to cook can dramatically cut home food costs. Real cooking is definitely cheaper than eating out, fast food, and even frozen or pre-packaged meals. Besides, our kids need more to do than play computer games, right? Have them cut up veggies for a stir-fry or peel potatoes for a soup.

Save the Environment
We all want to save the earth and go greener. If you want your kids to appreciate the environment and do their part to help, teach them to cook from scratch. Fresh fruits and vegetables and regular beans, rice and whole grains produce considerably less inorganic waste than processed and packaged foods.

Better Health
Research shows that today’s kids will have shorter life spans with more health problems than their parents – a first in centuries. A lack of understanding food and how it works is part of that problem. Children who know how to cook are more aware of the health benefits of food and feel more in control of the food choices they make.

Great Kids!
Learning how to cook builds self-esteem, sibling and parent connections, and family values, not to mention reading, math, and science skills. Put a child in charge of dinner for a night, and watch him/her learn responsibility and love it!
Kids want to feel grown up and in charge, so why not let them? Admittedly, it might take a little extra parenting effort at first, but eventually it pays off and you can take a break from a meal once in a while.
Even parents who let their very young children help out in the kitchen will find that the involvement leads to less picky eaters and helps eradicate much of the before-dinner chaos.
Here are some age-appropriate ideas to get you and your kids started towards some great kitchen memories and skill learning.

Ages 2-4
• Set the table (learn visual place setting, count number of people, make sure all components are on – forks, knives, cups, napkins, etc.)
• Put condiments on the table (salt, pepper, butter, dressing, etc.)
• Talk about foods that are healthy “all the time” foods or less healthy “sometimes” foods

Ages 5-7
• Get things from freezer or pantry, open cans, stir, make toast
• Dishes (wash, dry, load dishwasher, rinse off food, compost)
• Note food groups used in a meal

Ages 8-10
• Make a green or fruit salad, cut vegetables, slice bread, peel potatoes or carrots
• Measure ingredients and follow a simple recipe
• Dishes (wash, dry, load dishwasher, etc.)
• Put away leftovers properly
• Evaluate a meal for its health and use of food groups
• Discuss which dinner items were least expensive or most expensive

Ages 10 and up
• Make a simple meal or dessert and clean it up
• Help plan the menu for the week and discuss whether it is healthy and uses all food groups
• Help shop for meal ingredients and calculate per person cost of a dinner, day’s meals, or week’s meals

Maybe it’s time to add some kitchen time to family time. How are your kids going to stack up when they are adults and in charge of their own eating? Will they know the basics of living on their own? We have seen a strong economy crumble. While we hope for the best for our kids, do they know how to be frugal and work with their food resources? Will they be productive citizens that give back to the environment? Kitchen savvy is a big part of that preparation.

Lorae Bowden is a freelance writer and the author of “Centsible Meals: How to Feed Your Family for Less.” She resides with her seven children and husband in Bozeman, Montana. See www.loraebowden.blogspot.com for more family and money-saving tips.