Kids in the Kitchen :: Why It’s a Good Idea

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Kids-In-The-Kitchen-Columbia-Moms-BlogSomewhere, buried in my boxes of old paperwork, there is a document from the University of Wisconsin that declares that I am qualified to teach teenagers how to cook. Technically, my title is Family & Consumer Education teacher, but those of you in your thirties or older know it as Home Economics.

In addition to cooking and nutrition, an FCE teacher also covers the subjects of textiles and sewing, food science, consumer education, technology, finance, human development, child psychology, housing, health, career development and exploration, and a plethora of other topics having to deal with our personal world and beyond. In a nutshell, they teach kids life skills and how to be self sufficient. Simple, right?

Wrong.

I was incredibly disillusioned the moment I stepped into a classroom when I started student teaching. Having come from a household where I had been sewing since I was 7, doing my own laundry since I was 8, making dinner on my own since 10, and could check my car oil and change a tire the minute I turned 16, I was not prepared for the teenagers who had never washed a sink full of dishes before.

I was tasked with teaching lessons on how to budget simple finances to 17 year olds that admitted to not knowing where the money actually came from when you paid with a credit card, and kids who refused to learn how to sew a button on a shirt because they said if one ever fell off, they would just buy new clothes.

I once got in an argument with a parent because he believed his son was justified in skipping my class, stating that at 18 years old, he already knew all he needed to know about managing money.

I suddenly found myself surrounded by a sea of students who, by vast majority, had grown into young adults with the attitude that the conveniences of the world existed so that they wouldn’t have to actually do anything for themselves.

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One of the joys of teaching is witnessing change. In the instance of food classes, they were especially eye opening. In most cases, these kids hadn’t been intentionally excluded from their kitchens. Instead, the busyness of family life had simply streamlined their days into a routine that worked for them. That left little room for experimentation.

Little ones in the kitchen… or heck! Older ones for that matter… can make even the simplest tasks suddenly take forever. Messes are made, tempers are tested, and in the case of my own family, step stools are fought over like a flour and butter covered game of king of the hill.

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That said, speaking as a mom and not a life skills teacher, I implore you to embrace the craziness that is inevitable when children are involved with food prep. Something as simple as washing fresh fruit or chopping walnuts can have a positive influence on your child that will continue for years.

It is all connected, but the tangible reasons behind these actions are overshadowed by the fact that you are doing something with your child that is setting them up for success in their future lives.

Just as sure as learning to change a tire or sort laundry will benefit them for years to come, so will the one on one time spent with you while counting cups of oatmeal into a batch of cookies.

I know it seems like a little thing. An insignificant task that you may already do in your homes without thinking. If that is the case, HIGH FIVE! Keep it up.

Remember that your kids are capable of more than you think they are. If you are new to allowing your toddler/ preschooler/ kindergartener/ *gulp* teenager access to the hand mixer, take a deep breath, take their hand, and grab a mixing bowl. Their teachers, college roommates, future spouses, and especially you will be SO glad you did.

What have your kids learned in the kitchen?

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