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When the school year started back in August, I was determined to get our daughters more involved in the kitchen. I wanted them to begin planning and preparing one meal each week, learning basic food preparation and cooking techniques along the way.
I am happy to report that this experiment is going well! We’ve missed a few nights here and there due to traveling or other commitments, but otherwise have stayed on track.
I chose Tuesday nights since we are usually home those evenings. Our girls rotate turns, so whoever’s night it is plans her meal, cooks it, and cleans up afterwards. I supervise (more so with the ten-year-old) as needed.
It’s amazing how their personalities come out in their choice of meals. Our older daughter chooses items that are easy to make and require washing as few dishes as possible. Our ten-year-old chooses all her favorite foods and always includes desserts. She inherited my sweet tooth!
They have made Spaghetti, Cajun Chicken Pasta, Tacos, Loaded Potato Soup, Sloppy Joes, Poppy Seed Chicken, Quesadillas, and Roasted Potatoes, among other things. Desserts have included Banana Pudding and Root Beer Floats.
For awhile now they’ve been in charge of simple tasks like making their own sandwiches, slicing apples, and reheating leftovers in the microwave. It’s exciting to see them learning how to actually cook meals – and it’s also a great help to me!
Do your children help in the kitchen?
I'm a mix of your girls: always with sweet & as few dishes as possible to clean up! 😀
I love this idea of once-a-week kids cooking!!! I want to incorporate my kids more, too. 🙂
I saw your tweet pop up in my feed and so had to pop over. I love this! What precious memories you are making with your girls, and teaching them good skills too. Looks like you're eating good!
My boys took turns as dinner helper (or clean-up) when they were younger, so they learned to help in the kitchen. They also were assigned one night a week to cook when I was teaching them how to cook. But we never ate as good as you are, lol!
Lots of hot dogs, mac & cheese, spaghetti, grilled cheese and stuff like that, lol!
Now the oldest works full-time and the youngest attends college during the day and works evenings. However, they DO know how to cook so I'm glad for that! The oldest lived out of state for his last two years of college and didn't have a meal plan so he cooked for himself (and sometimes I cooked freezer meals and he took them home in a cooler – they made the drive o.k.).
Sounds like you did a great job teaching your boys to be handy in the kitchen! That has obviously come in handy – and I'm sure it will continue to be a skill they'll use!
Yes, mine "help" in the kitchen, too. At their ages, it would be easier to shoo them out of the kitchen and do it myself, but I want them to learn how to do things. I want them to be able to do what your girls are doing.
You are so right!! It takes a lot of time and patience in the beginning, but it definitely pays off as they get older. I guess it's that way with many parenting issues! 🙂