When you love to cook and you have children, the temptation to want to share a cooking moment with them is strong. Except that... it's not always a great idea:not to mention the probable battlefield after the activity (well, that's the game), you can end up with a sulky child and it's not fun not. So here are 10 tips to make sure everything goes smoothly.
1/ Choose the recipe well. Taking an easy recipe that you know is a good start, so you can clearly explain the different steps, without trying to figure out what to do.
2/ Find a recipe you like. Yes, if we want Junior to be involved, it is better to plan to cook something he/she likes... So we start with a compromise between what he/she wants and what we know how to do.
3/ Timing is important:no one likes to cook on an empty or tired stomach. We therefore choose a time when we have time in front of us (on average we count twice as much time as indicated on the recipe) and preferably after a meal.
4/ Prepare the ground upstream. We take out the ingredients and the utensils and we prepare the work plan before Junior joins us. This is not necessarily a fun step and may put him/her off.
5/ Thoroughly explain the use and dangers of utensils:the knife, it cuts and it can sting, the oven and the plates, it heats up, the peeler, it can also cut, etc. Of course, you never let a child cook unsupervised, but it's good to give them the right basics.
6/ Invest in aprons. Because you don't want to ruin clothes just for a good dinner...
7/ Adapt the menu to the level of the child. Before thinking about preparing dinner with Junior, we start with easy recipes like a yogurt or chocolate cake. Once he/she is more comfortable, we can consider slightly more complex creations. If we start with something too complicated, we not only risk disaster but above all, he/she will quickly lose interest if we do everything for him.
8/ Transmit the rules of hygiene. Washing your hands before starting is the basic, and we think about doing it again between the steps, especially when touching raw foods.
9/ Invest in suitable equipment. Well, not necessarily the first time we cook with Junior. But afterwards, if we feel that he/she likes it, we buy knives suitable for children, larger bowls, plastic utensils... Enough to show him/her that his/her participation is essential!
10/ Stay zen. We're not going to lie to each other:cooking a child requires patience because Junior is probably not going to do things right the first time. Yes, there may be things spilled or even broken, and some sprucing up will be in order after making a simple apple pie. But the happiness of Junior, who will offer the dessert proud as a louse, it's well worth it, right?!
