Most people claim they would 'Die for their children' yet many won't cook for - or with their children. For a myriad of reasons (or excuses) parents are comfortable feeding their children from a packet or drive - thru, as a society we have been conclusively duped into believing convenience and fast food is safe, hence it has become the norm.
From a very young age children approach cooking with the same enthusiasm as they approach everything else. Children are tactile and have no qualms about getting messy, and studies confirm that children learn best when they're interacting. Since time immemorial, children have loved stirring, pouring, splashing and tasting (who remembers licking the bowl?)
Learning through food literally is a building block. From as young as two playing (as Todd does) with a toy kitchen, putting toast in the toaster then onto the plate, putting things in the oven, putting water in the cup, then the cup on the saucer, are all a precursor to the next stage.
If you want your children to learn to cook, they are going to have to learn to use sharp knives and understand heat. As parents we have to learn to keep parental anxieties in check and remember that it's important for children to take risks, and learn through 'doing.' The kitchen is a great place to let go, to allow children to gain confidence and independence and we shouldn't stand in the way of their progress.
Cooking is a great vehicle for communication, good for children's cognitive skills and a great bonding experience. Learning mathematical vocabulary, phrases such as; 'more than' or 'less than', understanding sharing and taking turns, learning about where foods come from or how they grow, with the added benefit of our children trying a variety of foods! By teaching our children about food we can denormalise the reliance on convenience foods and subvert ingrained eating habits. We need to prioritise our kitchens as the most healthy, fun and inspiring room in our homes.
Interestingly, recent research has shown that 85 per cent of children across all age groups said they would like to cook. Another survey sadly produced disturbing results in that more children identified Simon Cowell than an avocado! Whilst I have nothing against Simon Cowell, I do worry that children think vegetables come from a supermarket and that cheese is a plant!
When I worked in special needs education, without fail cooking was the favourite lesson, the very young children loved the sensory aspect and the older children gained confidence and a sense of achievement, especially when cooking their own lunches.
Gordon Ramsey has lambasted parents who allow their children to spend hours glued to their computer screens whilst being fed inferior, convenience food. He says: 'Cooking is a life skill! Our current childhood obesity epidemic is down to parents who don't know how to cook nutritious food.' He's absolutely right, eating is a part of life, therefore cooking and preparing food is one of the most useful and valuable skills you can teach your children.
Cooking is not just about ingredients and recipes, it's about harnessing imagination, empowerment and creativity. It's also about spending time with your children, leading the way, setting examples and most of all.......having fun.
Smushins
Recipe
Soft fruit
Ice cream
Maple syrup or honey, small amount in a little cup or jug
Give each child a clean chopping board, blob on a scoop or two of ice cream
Give each child a selection of soft fruit: small pieces of banana, berries, grapes and cherries (peeled if children are very young)......
Give the children plastic spatulas or spoons, let them mix and mush everything together.
This is a good start to teach toddlers and young children how to hold utensils, to stir and pour. They will automatically put the fruit in their mouths, it's fun, it's messy and it's the beginning of learning to enjoy creating things with food.
'Children do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.'
- Teddy Roosevelt.
Love Donna xxxxxxxxx
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