Why It Is Important for Families to Cook Together
Every technological advancement offers pros and cons. And one of the downsides of increased mobile connectivity is a decline in the quantity and/or quality of family time. Both adults and kids are hooked on consuming online content, speaking to friends online, playing games, online shopping, and so on. Family members could be in the same room but not really ‘there.’ And sadly, some families aren’t able to even eat together regularly.
Indeed, the main challenge for families these days is that it’s more difficult than ever before to be fully present with each other. If you see this trend happening in your family and would like to break out of it, then cooking together is one of the best ways to accomplish this.
We believe that time with loved ones is important for everyone - so we’ve put together this guide in hopes that we can encourage more families to spend time together doing one of the most rewarding activities out there: cooking.
What Should I Be Prepared for If I Want to Cook with the Kids?
For most of us, getting food ready is a matter of organization and speed - and having other family members participate can lead to a disruption of this quick and clean process. And it’s true that accidents, spills, and delays can happen with inexperienced hands helping in the kitchen - but the benefits, as we will discuss in a little while, outweigh these challenges. First, here are a few things to keep in mind when cooking with kids:
Work with Simple Recipes
Because kids have limited experience when it comes to cooking, they may proceed with tasks slower. By selecting easy or medium-difficulty recipes, you’ll be able to ensure a quick and easy cooking session that is rewarding for all.
Prepare the Tasks for the Kids in Advance
This is especially important if you’re just getting started. Select tasks that are easy enough for the kids to accomplish and then help them refine their skills with time. Soon, you’ll be able to assign more challenging tasks for them to do and this will help them see that they are making good progress.
Plan Out the Work Stations
To avoid confusion and spills, you’d want to allocate specific places where your kids can do the cooking tasks that you assign to them. Planning out strategic work stations will also help you to supervise the kids easily and keep them safe.
Focus on the Fun
Regarding all things, kids will respond to your own outlook towards cooking. Aim for an environment of encouragement and fun. The positivity and upbeat attitude you have can be wonderfully contagious and very soon, your kids will love cooking just as much as you do!
What are the Benefits of Cooking With Kids?
As you’ve seen in the previous sections, it may take extra planning and supervision when you’re cooking with the kids - but these benefits will make it worth your while.
Cooking Together Unifies the Family in an Engaging Offline Activity
Cooking is an effective way to encourage your family to unplug and spend time with each other. It’s a highly engaging activity because the human brain naturally loves learning and progress - which are both involved in an activity like cooking.
Kids get to be busy with their hands, chopping veggies, mixing sauces, cutting dough, and the like. They will also see everything coming together into a tasty meal - which is such a rewarding experience for anyone. This is probably why cooking shows have such massive appeal! And to top it all off, kids will get to sneak a few morsels or have the first taste of the dish - who could say no to that?
Cooking Together Helps to Increase Appreciation Towards Food & Awareness Regarding Healthy Eating
Cooking with the kids is a wonderful learning opportunity regarding healthy eating. This kind of foundational education is something they can take with them well into their adult years. You can tell them all about the healthy veggies and fruits that you’re including in the meal and why nutrition is so important.
Additionally, your kids will be able to see that cooking takes time and effort and that food is inherently something that we should all be grateful for. This subtle lesson of respecting food is automatic when you go cooking with your kids and is reinforced further the more you involve them.
Cooking Together is a Great Developmental Activity for the Kids
Cooking is not just a fascinating and rewarding experience, but it is also a chance to work in a team - which in this case consists of other siblings and the parent/s. Being able to work in a team, along with the proper communication that goes with it, is a valuable soft skill that your kids can learn in this enjoyable and engaging activity.
Furthermore, kids will be taught focus and responsibility with the tasks that they are given. It can also be a good environment for them to learn how to handle situations where they’ve made mistakes (which is unavoidable sometimes - because it happens even to the best cooks). And of course, fine motor skills will also be enhanced through time.
Cooking Together can Unlock a Passion for Food
Cooking, in itself, is an important life skill. Without it, a person living independently will typically need to rely on instant food, packaged food, or takeout. So it’s definitely beneficial to slowly build the skill and confidence in cooking. This will help your kids gain healthy independence when they are adults. Some kids will like cooking, some will love it, and some may even be budding five-star chefs. It all starts at home.
Cooking Together Creates Beautiful Lasting Memories
Taking the time to be with your family is one of the most rewarding life experiences to be had. And quality family bonding can be incorporated into fun everyday activities like cooking. It’s a wonderful chance for everyone to be united towards a common goal and build beautiful lasting memories. These memories will serve as an inexhaustible reservoir of positivity in the face of any life challenge. This is indeed one of the greatest gifts you can give to your family members.
What Cooking Method Would Be Best Suited for Cooking as a Family?
There are multiple cooking methods that you can use when cooking with the family. Grilling is an all-time favourite and so is baking. These are both healthy and relatively safer methods of cooking. But did you know you can actually bake using a grill? Unknown to many, you can prepare pies and pizza on the grill - all you need is a baking stone and you’re good to go.
Another reason why grilling is so popular is it allows you to take your cooking under the open sky. This helps to make the cooking experience far more enjoyable - so enjoyable, in fact, that we plan parties around it.
So whether you are cooking with the family in your backyard with a Charcoal Professional cart grill or cooking away from home with a 22” Pro Charcoal kettle grill, you are bound to have a fun and relaxing cooking experience with the family.
Have you been able to arrange a cooking session with your family? What recipe did you work on together? We’d love to hear about your experience. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook and share your stories with our community!