What are the Pros and Cons of Teaching your Kids how to Cook when they are Young?

Growing up, my mom often said she was grateful to my grandma for teaching my dad how to cook. He could whip up anything he wanted without a recipe. He was not a simple corndog and macaroni and cheese person. He knew food and how to work with it. This helped out a lot, especially on nights that were crazy with homework and small children.

What are the pros and cons of teaching your kids how to cook?

Pros of Teaching your Kids how to Cook

1. Kids will eat healthier. When a child sees you cook and teaches them how to cook, frozen meals are an uncommon dinner instead of an everyday thing. Kids will eat healthier as you teach them how to cook. They do not have to grow up thinking that the only options for food are frozen dinners.
2. There's a food world to explore. Why would you put a limit on them? From purple potatoes to sugar donuts. You teach them how to make things, and their life will be full of creative and unique meals. If you think about it, our day is focused on food. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner all take up a significant portion of your life. Everyone should know how to explore the world of food.
3. Kids can help you out. Each age group can do things and cannot do other things. For example, a three-year-old should not be using a butcher knife. That is common sense! Your three-year-old can do a lot when kneading bread or filling muffin tins with batter! Give them age-appropriate jobs, and you will find that soon enough, they are a bigger help than a hindrance.
4. Teaching kids to cook helps them overcome obstacles. Cooking mac & cheese and hotdogs are the first steps to becoming a world-famous chef. Next, they might try making pancakes. Eventually, they may master a baked Alaska. One step at a time can teach them they can do hard things.
5. They can make every meal exciting as they learn. My husband grew up in a home of simple meals. He often did not want to eat because he was tired of the same five options. This led to him being very skinny and having low self-esteem. Had the food been more exciting to him, he probably would have eaten healthier and been happier.
6. Learning how to cook teaches your kids the value of money. If you always buy frozen foods and eat out, you're spending hundreds of dollars a month. If you can make a burger for $.50 at home instead of buying one for six dollars, would you do it?
7. Quality time is spent. Cooking requires constant attention. Phone and computer screens cannot be in the way of a hot stove. This means the time you're teaching your child how to cook and bake is a quality one-on-one time where you were 100% present. They will remember and cherish these moments.
8. Kids can make money baking and cooking for others. One of my friend's daughters makes and sells cinnamon rolls on Facebook. They could not do this unless they knew how to cook.

Cons of Teaching your Kids how to Cook

1. It is tough to have kids in the kitchen. I know I am very guilty of this. Sometimes it's easier to throw dinner in the oven without tripping over little ones.
2. There will be so many questions. What is this? What if I do this? Why can't I stand on this? What if I eat this? I don't want to wash my hands. The learning curve is extremely stressful and frustrating at times.
3. A kitchen is a dangerous place. Knives and boiling water are only two of the hundred things a child can get hurt on. Is it worth the emergency room trip?
4. Kids have germs. I don't know if you were a germaphobe, but I don't love the thought of where my kid's hands have been. Then it worsens when they lick their fingers and stick them back in the dough. I wouldn't say I like eating dirty fingers in my cookies. Haha
5. One child is easy to cook with. What happens when you have two kids? Our oldest is very careful and loves to cook and bake. Our second child is very clumsy and curious when it comes to cooking. I dread it when I see him pulling up a chair. It's just a time bomb about to go off for him to get hurt. I guess that is the life of a two-year-old.

"Our goal is to help the world make decisions with a list of Pros and Cons. We invite all to add to our lists to help others make the most educated decision possible. We are all in this world together to help each other and learn from what others have learned from their lives journey."

 - Pros and Cons Team

Written By: Sarah