Cooking with your kids, ahhh, what a lovely memory making moment! Okay sure there will be messes and there may be some chaos but overall this is a fantastic way to create lifelong memories with your kids. Today we want to share 10 benefits of cooking with kids that we’ve experienced over the last 16 years of being parents. We believe cooking with your kids is an easy way to spend quality time with your children all the while teaching them responsibility and building character to serve others.

10 Benefits of Cooking With Kids

1. Boost Self-Esteem – believe it or not, cooking with kids will boost their self-esteem in that they get instant gratification for a meal well cooked. They also love it when you compliment them on their hard work and teamwork skills!
2. Teach Math Skills – allowing kids to learn how to measure necessary ingredients teaches them important match skills, such as fractions. When children are very young (think toddler) cooking with them is a great way to teach them numbers and grouping numbers. You’ll be amazed at all the mathematical sense they pick up simply by assisting us in the kitchen.
3. Encourages Fun – what better way to have some fun than to create a mess in the kitchen with kids, this is a great way to have fun and burn off some stress for adults, too.
4. Curbs Picky Eaters – kids tend to want to try something that they made, this helps to curb picky eaters and encourage an adventurous palate.
5. Reading Skills – when working with younger kids in the kitchen you are able to develop stronger reading skills which benefit them in the long haul of life.
6. Educates on Healthy Choices – one of the largest benefits of cooking with kids is that you are able to teach them healthier eating habits. Parenting is all about teachable moments – and for us teaching our children about healthy eating and living is a large priority. What better time to educate our children on healthy eating choices than in the kitchen?
7. Comprehension Skills – having your child read the recipe and interpret the instructions helps to strengthen their comprehension skills. It’s a simple way to build more responsibility and critical thinking into a bonding moment with them.
8. Deep Family Bonds – when spending time cooking with kids, you are developing a deep bond with them that will substantially grow through the years. Some of our fondest memories are in the kitchen with our great-grandmas, grandmas, and parents. We are so glad to pass this down to our children as well.
9. Communication Skills – cooking with kids creates a relaxing environment for them to feel comfortable discussing anything that’s on their mind. If you are ever tempted to be stressed out when cooking with your kids, read this post.
10. Life Lessons – last, but certainly not least, cooking with kids establishes their ability to survive adulthood by knowing how to cook for themselves. Let’s be honest, more and more of our future generations are relying heavily on fast food and packaged foods because they don’t know how to cook. This is a valuable life lesson that can give them the ability to save money and eat nutritiously. A win for all!

There are many benefits to cooking with kids, but the 10 we showcased today are some of the most important reasons to get out there in the kitchen with your kids today. When you work to include kids in the process of cooking with you on a regular basis you are handing down a tradition that will pass through generations to come. This is the perfect way to bond with your kids while teaching them an important life lesson, how cook for their future family.

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