Do your kids cook with you?

**itsahumanzoo** · 07-18-2008, 04:29 PM

I recently discovered that my 2 year old LOVES to help cook! I don't let him help if it involves any kind of raw meat, but most other stuff is fine. The other day he helped me mix together all the ingredients for the mac and cheese, and today we made french bread pizzas together.

What do you cook with your kids?

**IntlMom** · 07-18-2008, 05:22 PM

Yea, ummmm, I'm a bad mommy, cause I'm not very patient with the messes. My daughyer likes to help me, and I often have her stir somehting for me, but I am right there to keep the messes in check......my younger son sometimes like to help. I am qjuick to let him help with stiring or mixing or breaking up ground beef in the skillet. My boys like to decorate cakes with sprinkles after I;ve made and frosted a cake....does that count?

**itsahumanzoo** · 07-18-2008, 05:27 PM

I'm not very patient with the messes either. DS likes to stir, but he goes crazy! I have to actually hold the spoon/whisk with him, to try and keep it in the bowl. Otherwise, it would splash everywhere! When I'm cooking on the stove, he often tries to grab a utensil and reach up and help stir the pan/pot, but I have to stop him because hot food is too dangerous! I'm just happy that he likes to help though.

**Momto2Boyz** · 07-18-2008, 05:39 PM

My kids help me cook whenever they want. My four year old LOVES to cook, my 7 year old sometimes enjoys it. They both cracked their first egg the other day...and boy was it hilarious! My 7 year old cracked it, then tried to pry it open. Well, he did it the wrong way and it ended up down the front of him! It was pretty hilarious!

Not for those who hate messes!

My kids love to cook anything, but even my four year old can from start to finish make grilled cheese, pancakes, waffles etc. Of course, never without supervision, but they are really good about knowing the electric griddle is hot, and not touching it. But i do let them flip things with some help!

**nancycg56** · 07-18-2008, 05:50 PM

They used to cook with me but now they cook FOR me ~ which is even better

**AmyBoz** · 07-18-2008, 06:14 PM

Julia just made our pizza for dinner. She is a GREAT helper in the kitchen. She helps me all the time, especially with the baking. The boys also enjoy helping.

**Neeley** · 07-18-2008, 06:20 PM

Ours cook for us as well. DS does more so than DD. He loves to cook. At least a couple of days a week he handles dinner.

**Moor** · 07-18-2008, 07:11 PM

oldest dd loves to cook, so she takes one/two nights when she is not working.
dd/12 loves to cook aslo. she can make a mean biscut and gravy. homemade biscuts! whoo hoo!
dd/9 is starting. she loves to bake more than just cook. she has made cakes, cookies. pies, and cobblers. she makes the best sugar cookies.

**danni** · 07-18-2008, 07:33 PM

All my kids have always helped with the cooking. They all love to do anything with me. My 17 yr old ds can cook a full turkey dinner without help and loves to bake too. The twins(12 yrs old) love to cook and bake too. They can cook the basic stuff like grilled cheese, eggs, pancakes and mac and cheese by themselves, and they love it when I teach them new recipes. My dd(4 yrs old) loves to help to, she measures and pours stuff in and stirs. All the kids continously ask if they can help decorate cakes with me too, so I've been teaching them that too.

**santoria** · 07-18-2008, 07:59 PM

all three of mine help.

my 5year old made a kick butt lemon pie a couple months ago (it was even better than mine! )

I let them all help out. I think its good for them to start learning as early as possible that cooking is fun and easy. I know too many people who haven't a clue how to cook (my SIL burned water! my other SIL made mushy lasagne!). learning them to be self sufficient!

**YankeeMom** · 07-18-2008, 09:44 PM

My boys like to help. Ds 10 gets bored quickly though and runs off to do something else. Ds 6 loves to break the eggs, stir, and talk my ear off

**missyali** · 07-18-2008, 10:04 PM

My dd is a great cook. She's 5 and very ambitious. In fact, tries to come up with her own recipes sometimes~ Yikes! DS (2yo) makes me a little nutty in the kitchen. He's really good at fetching the ingredients.

**suki** · 07-19-2008, 09:20 AM

My girls started helping in the kitchen when they were around 2-ish and are great cooks today! They've always helped. When they were little, I had them tear up the lettuce and spinach for salad, stir things, etc. Be patient with the messes, moms... they'll clean up and perfection isn't required! You don't want to discourage them or make them think they can't do it right (that's frustrating).

After hearing how many young adults have no clue how to cook... I wish more would include their kids and see it as part of their duty in raising future adults (giving them the tools to succeed). My oldest daughter made some cash at college cooking for others who didn't know how and she taught a few of them some of the basics.

I've always enjoyed my time in the kitchen with the kids and am so glad they are self-sufficient in that regard now.

**McD** · 07-19-2008, 11:20 PM

Wesley is 2 and I let him help me cook. He helps make homemade pizza ( I let him spread out the sauce, sprinkle cheese etc.), crack eggs, mix stuff, etc. The messes don't bother me.

After being away from him at work all day, I love having him helping me in the kitchen.

**cheriede** · 07-21-2008, 09:16 PM

My two oldest girls love to cook. I usually let them cook whatever they want to cook. My 4 years like to pour things in the bowel, stir things and then lick the bowl, but doesn't stick around for anything else. My 2 year doesn't want anything to do with cooking, but he does like to empty the dishwasher.