6 Reasons to Cook with Your Children

Reviewed and approved by the psychologist Elena Sanz Martín.

Written by Zuleyvic Adriana Cuicas

Last update: 27 December, 2022

There are many reasons why you should cook with your children. It’s an excellent way to cultivate patience and a sense of collaboration, as well as to promote a positive family relationship.

Normally when parents cook, children are usually nowhere to be found. Parents may keep their children away from the kitchen so they don’t get hurt. However, there are at least six good reasons why cooking with your children can be a positive thing.

Having good company in the kitchen is always pleasant. Cooking with your kids is a good way to spark their interest in certain foods or vegetables that they reject at first glance. So invite your kids to get involved, you won’t regret it!

6 reasons to cook with your children

It develops their sense of teamwork

Most families prepare their breakfast, lunch and dinner at set times. If the family is organized and fulfills their daily routines, children will be able to learn a little bit about responsibility since they’ll have to do the same task every day at the same time.

Obviously, at first they won’t be able to complete tasks or meals on their own. However, as a parent, you’ll be able to cultivate certain habits in them. As they grow up, they’ll learn to appreciate the value of teamwork.

Carrying out simple tasks according to the child’s age can also provide him or her with self-confidence and help promote self-esteem.

They will be able to learn the value of organization

Cooking with children is a team  activity. If you want to implement this activity in your own family, you must all communicate and work together as a team to decide the family’s daily menu.

When children are still very young, it will be the parents’ role to decide on the menu. However, you can also consult your children on certain occasions to find out what they want to eat.

Cooking with children requires a lot of organization, patience and respect. All of these ingredients are important in order to make the activity fun for everyone.

Adults can be in charge of the large bulk of tasks when it comes to making food. Children can start off by learning how to organize things and set the table.

Cooking with children promotes a healthy family atmosphere

Sharing food on the table unites families. As the saying goes: “the family that eats together, stays together.” This is a saying that can also be applied to cooking.

Although your schedules may not coincide every day, there is always an opportunity to cook with your children during the weekend or holidays.

Cooking helps cultivate patience

Most children want everything as soon as they ask for it. Almost all of the activities they take part in are full of impulsivity and this is completely natural. We were all like that when we were children. Children often expect the world to react with the same speed with which they learn.

Children’s impatience can cause them to throw tantrums when they’re hungry. Having them help out in the kitchen helps teach them that food isn’t prepared magically. Preparing food requires time and dedication. Therefore, they’ll understand that certain activities and tasks require patience.

Cooking can stimulate your child’s imagination

Through cooking, children also learn to see that different foods are full of different possibilities and  opportunities.

Children’s imaginations can be stimulated easily by different types of foods. They can be stimulated when they’re preparing, serving and combining foods. Together, both of you will discover the richness of the world of gastronomy.

They learn to differentiate between foods

Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins and fiber. Most of them provide a wide variety of benefits for a developing child’s body. It’s important for them to be aware that when they eat, their cells are nourished by the nutrients that they acquire from different foods.

It’s ideal for children to eat a variety of uncooked foods such as fruits and vegetables rather than processed foods. Although processed foods may look attractive, they aren’t always healthy for the body.

When you’re cooking with your children, take the time to teach them about foods that bring positive benefits to their body. Help them understand that it’s always better to eat homemade food rather than processed foods.