If yes, then it is time to take that happiness to the next stage in the child’s life. It is time to teach them how to cook and prepare food, for kids would be only too happy to actually prepare the dish that they only were able to taste so far. Plus, described here are 9 advantages that your child would derive upon learning how to cook:
-
Helps in fine motor skills
Sprinkling, baking and kneading the dough, stirring, measuring etc. requires the child’s hands to move and work constantly. In this way, the child develops fine motor skills and over a period of time will learn to be deft, quick and nimble in not just cooking but in other aspects as well.
-
Stops picky eating
Some children are known to be very choosy in the food they eat, like they only want a particular type of food and would not try any other kind of food. By learning to cook, they learn to explore so many different types of cuisines such that they eventually give up the habit of being picky in the kind of food they eat.
-
Encourages communication and being social
When children spend time with you in the kitchen, you get to talk and work as a team. It encourages coordination and cooperation. And when working as part of a team, you get the job done faster than can be done when single and helps build a healthy relationship between you and your child.
Also, your child would feel happy of having reduced the workload off your shoulders.
-
Follow Instructions
Every recipe has instructions and procedures to follow failing which, it literally turns out to be a recipe for disaster. Recipes usually have clear cut instructions like the number of tablespoons of a particular ingredient, the time taken to heat it in an oven etc.
This teaches children to read and follow instructions and important terms and conditions, thereby inculcating the life skill of not to overlook crucial details which they carry forward in their later age.
-
Improves math skills
When they read instructions, they are also required to keep in mind the quantity of each ingredient that must be included in the dish like 3 1/2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of nutmeg powder etc.
Also, they need to know the number of people for whom they are cooking. This would help them measure and estimate the amount of each ingredient that needs to be added in order for the dish to suffice the required amount of people.
By now, they have learnt to calculate on the basis of fractions and numbers and have also learnt planning skills in the process.
-
More creativity
A kitchen can be an amazing place for portraying creativity and can children can hone their creativity to their fullest extent.
Children who cook everyday for many months start to get creative with the ingredients they use such that they eventually begin to form their own innovative concoctions and recipes. Some kids add or replace new ingredients in some dishes while some show their creativity in food presentation. But, all in all, cooking can be one of the best ways to bring about creativity in children.
-
Makes children happy
Needless to say, cooking makes children happy. Imagine the happiness on the child’s face when they are actually making food for the family or for a friend. This motivates them to better and gives them the satisfaction of having served someone in need. Also, imagine the happiness on the child’s face when they receive appreciation for the dish they made that tasted scrumptious.
-
It is a vital life skill
The children who learn to cook at an early age would be better able to take care of themselves when they get matured and older. In that way, the grown up adult would not scramble for food or get lethargic and order from outside and would understand the importance of the food cooked in a safe environment like home.
Now that you have seen the various advantages of your child learning how to cook, why don’t you get them to your kitchen, and bring in a change in their life.
