Teaching life lessons through cooking

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This article was published 29/11/2016 (3326 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Just like African meerkats who are patient in teaching their pups to handle dangerous scorpions — their main source of prey — parents should be the first to teach their children the ways of the kitchen.

Teaching your child the basics of cooking and kitchen safety will not only help spark their interest in cooking at an early age, it will also give them the fundamentals of a basic living skill.
Abigail Legaspi, food and cooking skills programmer at NorWest Co-op Community Health Centre, says we are slowly losing the basic skill of cooking.

“Studies show that less kids are learning how to cook as parents are getting busier,” Legaspi said.
Legaspi said there is no age too early to educate your children.

“Kitchen toys are not just for girls, and they are very helpful in educating your children ages toddler and up,” she said.

Using plastic toys to demonstrate the correct use of a kitchen tool or to identify what may be sharp or hot is a good way to prepare your child for little tasks around the kitchen.

“As your child gets to an age where you’re both comfortable, they can start doing little things, like chopping off the ends of vegetables,” Legaspi said.

Involving your child in the kitchen at an early age will also encourage them to make healthier food choices, spark their creativity as they begin to learn certain tastes, and boost their overall confidence. Creating something they can call their own and be proud of will definitely encourage them to try new things — not only in cooking.

“No matter how busy we are as parents, we should make it a priority to set aside the time to engage our children in building their skills in the kitchen,” Legaspi said.

Nancy Heinrichs is the executive director of NorWest Co-op Community Health Centre. For any questions or comments, please email nheinrichs@norwestcoop.ca