Kitchens can be a seemingly dangerous place for kids but with the right directions and expectations accidents can be avoided and messes cleaned up easily. These are my main rules for cooking in the kitchen with me – they cover the basics of safety and hygiene and ensure everyone is comfortable with their tasks and able to complete them safely.
Kids can be enthusiastic and want to do and try everything – I just reassure them they are able to give things a go but there are some tasks they just aren’t quite ready for yet but with practice they will get there. Some items are just too heavy or hot for kids to handle on their own – to balance this I try and allow them to complete other tasks. After this I praise their efforts which allows them to feel they are contributing to the overall tasks being completed.
Kids in the kitchen doesn’t need to be stressful – have a chat about what will happen, the recipe that will be cooked and what the food will look like and most kids will happily follow directions excited to see the results. Happy cooking!
