I love cooking together with my kids. Ok, sometimes it is annoying because kids take longer to do the same thing that a more experienced person can do, and they make bigger messes. But I still love to do it because its a great bonding experience, and it teaches them important kitchen skills. Here's some more reasons why you might want to cook together as a family.
We know that cooking dinner every evening isn’t always a fun activity — in fact, for many people cooking just feels like a chore. This is a real shame, given that cooking can actually be a fun and fulfilling task — especially if done with the entire family. Whether you prepare every ingredient from scratch or use one of the prepackaged meal kits, cooking together creates a close bond between family members that’s worthwhile trying whenever you can. Need a bit more convincing? Here are five reasons why you should take the time to cook together as a family.
1. It gives you the chance to chat
If there’s one thing that many families simply are not doing much of anymore, it’s sitting down and simply chatting. It may sound silly, but many family members feel as if they don’t have the time to dedicate to hearing about what’s going on in each other’s lives. If you’re struggling as a family to make time to catch up, then preparing a family meal together is the perfect time to talk. You’ll get at least a half hour of chatting time, while also getting dinner out of the way.
2. It helps promote healthy eating
Healthy eating can be a headache for many parents. We want to make sure that our children know what it means to make a healthy choice, but we don’t want to force it on them. The trouble is that chips and sweets are so easy to grab, especially compared to a home cooked dinner. If you cook meals together, however, you can get create with different healthy options. Your kids will also see exactly what goes into making dinner, so eating a healthy meal will feel rewarding.
3. It could help beat fussy eaters
Another issue faced by many parents is fussy eaters, who can turn dinnertime into a battleground! When you encourage your child to cook, you’re much more likely to encourage them to try foods that they might not otherwise try. And seeing and experiencing the preparation process might pique their interest in many unexplored foods they wouldn’t have even considered putting in their mouths!
4. It teaches children life skills and self-sufficiency
With such busy lives, teaching children good life lessons can be a real challenge in everyday life. A great way to set up our children to be self-sufficient and independent is to teach them the basics that they will need to get by — like food and cooking. What better way to teach them life skills than to cook and prepare food together?
5. It gives your child a sense of responsibility
More than anything, children want adults to trust them and let them do things for themselves. We can’t leave them alone to prepare an entire dinner, but we can ask them to help us. This will give them a sense of responsibility and purpose — without us having to worry that they’re going to burn the house down.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why it’s worthwhile to grab your aprons and come together as one joyful unit. You’re bound to enjoy the family bonding — plus you’ll get a tasty treat at the end. Happy cooking!