Kids in the Kitchen
By katsmeow1213
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
United States
December 13, 2008 2:48pm CST
My oldest son is taking home skills this year... that's what they call Home Ec these days. He comes home from school every other day telling me what they've made in class. First they made some fudge, then last week they made a pie. He's very excited about it.
Since he started this class, he's gotten more and more interested in what I'm doing in the kitchen. He watches me every time I cook dinner, and lately, I've been letting him do quite a bit of it. I let him stir things on the stove, and add the ingredients. Soon I may start letting him make simple things (like stuffing from the box) all by himself with my supervision.
How old were your kids when you began letting them cook things on their own? When did you start letting them use the stove?
3 people like this
6 responses
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
13 Dec 08
My oldest son was about 9 when he started cooking. We started him out frying eggs. My daughters were younger when they wanted to start baking. so I started them out with cup cakes. Boy what a mess. I had a hard time watching them make the mess so I got so I would leave the kitchen then come back to supervise the clean up. It was easier to do the cleanup than to watch them dribble the cake mix as they put it in the cupcake papers. My youngest daughter loved to cook but hated to read the directions. I would get calls at work "Why didn't the coating stick to the chicken" Because she didn't read the directions she put the egg in the bread crumbs. I have come home from work to see some interesting things in the garbage, Once I came home and there was a big black loaf of bread in the trash with raw dough in the middle. They had set the oven at 500 degrees. With all the bad experiments they have all turned out to be pretty good cooks. They didn't any of them take home skills but the girls did take 4H.
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
13 Dec 08
Trial and error is the best way to learn something. I am a decent cook these days, but I sure had my fair share of mess ups. I remember the time I tried to make angel food cake without a bundt pan... I ended up having to buy a new oven, lol.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
16 Dec 08
I actually just used a better crocker dry mix, but I used a normal cake pan not realizing how much it rises.
Needless to say I haven't tried it since. Now I buy the premade angel food cake at the store.
1 person likes this
@laglen (19759)
• United States
16 Dec 08
First of all, thats great that your sons school offers this class. round here the schools do not. as to the kids in the kitchen, she has worked with me in the kitchen since she was about 4. She started using the stove at around 7 but only with me standing there. Now, she is 14, but her interest has waned. I need to get her back in there. She makes mac and cheese, pancakes, eggs and ramen. Thats about it!
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
16 Dec 08
I was about 14 when my mom started to teach me how to make our family dinners. There were a few easy ones I could make myself, and I've remembered to this day how she did it. I wished she had taught me more, because there are a few of her recipes I miss and would love to have again.
@eaforeman6 (8979)
• United States
13 Dec 08
My kids started cooking with me early on and they all turned out to be better cooks then I am. They all 3 love to cook. They do alot of gourmet cooking now. I wish I had encouraged my son to be a chef,and he could still do it one day. Great Topic!
@ravinskye (8237)
• United States
14 Dec 08
Well my oldest is only 6. she helps me if I bake cookies or stuff like that but the most she usually does it dump stuff in and stir. I started home ec when i was 13. I loved it and took it every year but one that i couldn't fit it in to my schedule. I think my mom let me start doing stuff at that age too. I can't remember exactly.
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
16 Dec 08
My 6 year old twins do all that too. They use the toaster and microwave, they make their own oatmeal, waffles, toast, whatever. They've been making their own breakfast since last summer. Sure makes things easier on me.
