How and Why I Teach My Children to Cook

Although all of my kids love to "help" cook and bake, a few years ago, when Sweetie Pea turned six, I began a more intentional Titus 2 effort to teach her how to cook a meal from START to FINISH. I wanted her to know how to properly write a grocery list, purchase healthy ingredients, prepare and cook an entire meal, and serve it with a smile. Once a month, she and I had a Sunday afternoon date in the kitchen whipping up simple meals together.

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Using the classic, Betty Crocker's Cookbook for Boys and Girls, I spent time teaching her proper terms, tools, and culinary skills so that she would be able to successfully make ANY basic recipe. After a year-and-a-half of this method, I was encouraged by the Radio Announcer's Wife to get more practical. Since Sweetie Pea now possessed a general working knowledge of the kitchen, she could be assigned a bi-weekly night as dinner cook. My goal was to assign her ONE recipe that she would cook every-other-week until she completely mastered it and could be assigned another recipe.

I chose a simple skillet sloppy joe sandwich and even simpler cold side dishes such as fruit and pickles. I did not want to overwhelm her by having more than one pot/pan to watch at a time. I walked her through the meal the first time she prepared it, helped out with a few steps the following two or three times, and then enjoyed a "night off" for a few more times. Once I saw that she could prepare the entire meal all by herself (about 3 months later), I gave her a new recipe to tackle.

She now spends a few weeks learning and practicing each new recipe. Then, takes a month off to review a few of the old ones. (I hope to buy her a Family Recipe Binder for her next birthday so that she has a pretty place to keep all of these mastered meals.)

Lest you think I am a slave driver who just wants to have a "night off," I step away from cooking duties twice-a-month out of LOVE for my daughter. I recognize that she MAY NOT get married someday and she MAY NOT ever have any children, but she WILL need to eat. And unless I WANT her to go bankrupt having to eat out for every meal, I better ensure she knows how to feed herself. As her mom, it is my JOB to work my way OUT of a job. Nothing will cripple her more than doing everything for her AND never teaching her how to do it for herself.

And that brings me to my little man cub. Super Boy was anxiously awaiting his turn in the kitchen. He couldn't wait to make a meal ALL BY HIMSELF. Like his sister, he had to be able to read well enough to read a recipe without any help. For him, that meant seven years old.  

A few weeks ago found us in the kitchen together learning to make the same skillet sloppy joes that his sister had mastered some time ago. I recognize that not all my boys will enjoy cooking as much as my daughter does, but they ALL will learn how. As with my daughter, I can not assume that my boys will each get married, that their spouses will know how to cook, or that their spouses will always feel like cooking. (A bowl of cold cereal for dinner is fine every now and again, but after weeks of morning sickness, a woman sometimes wants to know her family has other options.)

My son was so thrilled when all the plates were ready to pass. It gave him such a sense of accomplishment knowing that everyone enjoyed a meal he had MADE and SERVED himself...with a little help from me.

Just before he took his place at the table, I switched out HIS plate for our family celebration plate. It was a great way to commemorate such a milestone meal.

How do YOU work your way out of a job?