So many people assume that I must be great at cooking with kids because I’m a professional chef. But, for exactly the reason that I am one, makes it harder for me to cook with kids. I’m a professional chef and I know exactly how recipes should be made. And let’s be honest here, kids make giant messes and can barely brush their teeth, let alone follow instructions. Plus on a selfish level, I LOVE to cook and they make my awesome food less awesome.
But, (long pause...) I know it’s something they have to learn and make mistakes at, in order to be comfortable & confident in the kitchen and learn to make good food choices later in life. It's a serious struggle though. Don't get me wrong!! I often found myself lying when they would ask if I needed help, or I'd say it’s too complicated, we don’t have a lot of time etc... I saw how much it disappointed them, so I made a switch. And since then, I have been working on it. I now feel myself nodding my head back and forth with my lips pursed together saying in my head, "Eh, I'm doing alright."
I have found that teaching them one recipe at a time helps them learn better. And, that by giving them a job, even a small one like peeling a carrot, makes them feel a part of the family in a way I wasn't expecting to see.
I’m finding it kinda fun in a way that I wasn't expecting. And I see now that in the future, they will be able to participate in cooking meals without me, leaving me free to dance, drink bubbles and bask in their own accomplishments. Until that days comes though, I just wish there were people who cleaned up after them, I do THAT enough!