Have you taught your children how to cook?

**SewCrafty** · 03-07-2004, 07:47 AM

And if so what?

Mom didn't teach us (her children) how to cook. Mom doesn't like anyone in the kitchen with her!! lol

But despite that we all learned how to cook. My sister's are all good cooks, so is my oldest brother. My younger brother wouldn't starve, he can make french toast and a mean bowl of Honeycombs!

My younger sister and I are the bakers, and my oldest brother Jim is a good baker but I don't think he does much of that anymore. All of us girls know how to can too, except my younger sister, I don't think she has yet.

Everything we learned was by watching, not until I was in my teens do I remember being allowed in the kitchen to do more than the dishes. Then I was allowed to bake as Mom HATES to bake!

So, have you taught, or do you plan on teaching your children enough about cooking that they can survive when they leave your home?

**Darlene** · 03-07-2004, 09:26 AM

Yes & No, lol. Nicole is a very good cookie baker, she helped me as soon as she was able to stand on a chair. She's been baking on her own for years now, mostly cookies & cakes. She doesn't really want to cook dinners but does eggs and such. As she says, if you can read, you can cook.

There's a bit more to it baby girl. I think she's picked up a lot of tips and things just by watching me in the kitchen, I often ask for her help doing something too.

Mark is lazy.

He's come a long way this past year, used to be he if he had to slice a bagel, he wouldn't eat it. Today he not only sliced it, he toasted & put crm cheese on it & made himself a cup of cappachino

He actually asked me to show him how to fry an egg a few months ago. He's starting to get some interest. I think he'd actually put the spaghettios in a pan & heat them now instead of eating it out of the can.

**dz_blonde_girl** · 03-07-2004, 11:17 AM

Ds#1, he's 11, loves to cook! He's been helping in the kitchen since he was a toddler.We used to call him "Master Chef". He does boxed things like Tuna Helper and Macaroni and Cheese all by himself. He's also in charge of adding the "secret ingredients" to many of our recipes.

Dd, 2, wants to do everything Mommy and Daddy do. she watches when I cook and asks to taste everything. When I bake, I do let her taste the individual ingredients and then again when I mix them together. She thinks washing dishes is cool!

**guest2** · 03-07-2004, 11:35 AM

My boys all know how to cook. DH and I decided when they were little that we needed to teach them how to function on their own so we made it a part of our homeschooling. Jaysn is by far my best cook out of he bunch. He cooks like his Mom

, trying new things and learning what seasonings go with what so he can create his own recipes. He will grab my favorite cookbook and can make anything in it!!!!

**Jessie** · 03-07-2004, 11:39 AM

The kids are slowly learning to cook some simple things, alot of what I cook is from scratch so it takes longer to do, but I least want them to start the learning process. My mom never taught us how to cook, but I'm also planning for later in life too so when my kids get older and invite us over, I don't want to pretend its a good meal

**SewCrafty** · 03-07-2004, 03:59 PM

Originally posted by Darlene
Mark is lazy. He's come a long way this past year, used to be he if he had to slice a bagel, he wouldn't eat it. Today he not only sliced it, he toasted & put crm cheese on it & made himself a cup of cappachino

He actually asked me to show him how to fry an egg a few months ago. He's starting to get some interest. I think he'd actually put the spaghettios in a pan & heat them now instead of eating it out of the can.

Mark sounds like how my brother Roddy was!

I just think it is one of those 'life skills' that kids need along with learning how to handle a checking account etc.....

**lucy979** · 03-08-2004, 04:51 AM

Dd helps me but I am not a great cook so I will ot be much of a teacher!

But I will do my best.

I didn't learn to cook from my mom so when I got married we ate hamburger helper all the time.

**Katybird** · 03-08-2004, 10:21 AM

DD loves to cook and has since she was small. She loved to help in the kitchen when she was even a little bitty girl and as she got older she loved it even more. On the other hand, my 2 boys took no interest in it all.

**canadian gardener** · 03-08-2004, 11:42 AM

That was one of the first things, even before teaching them to read. Kitchen safety, and fixing very basic things, moving on up to more complex tasks.

I was always worried about dying and leaving them helpless, because when mum died, I had to teach myself everything and it was a long difficult road searching out the most efficient ways to do stuff.

I taught cooking, laundry and cleaning house from early early on.

Oh and basic home nursing and alternate health stuff, like which herb to use for what, homeopathic remedies, vitamins etc.

Money management the same way, starting with managing a small allowance up to giving assignments where they had so much money, and so much payments due, and the odd disaster and windfall as a bit of a home made project. They could choose the # of kids, and it was fun.

**CountryRose** · 03-10-2004, 04:22 PM

My mother taught me to cook. She started me out with simple things when I was 6 years old. I still have the first cookbook she ordered for me from the Imperial sugar company. I taught my 2 boys how to cook and it was a good thing I did as their wives were not taught how to cook. Both my sons( ages 25 and 23 )are really good cooks. I also taught them how to do laundry. My younger son is married with 3 children. He does most of the cooking and has always loved to experiment with flavors and spices. If there is any advice that I would give to parents these days it would be to teach your children to cook as they might marry someone who can't cook or they might choose to remain single and would need survival skills in the kitchen.