Cooking Can Bring Fathers And Kids Together

Maybe cooking talent and parenting skills do not necessarily always go hand-in-hand.

But in these days of the Food Network and numerous reality shows based around creating the perfect dish, cooking together at home is becoming a popular way for families to bond.

And whether you are single parenting or sharing the joy with a partner, chances are your kids will love to spend some time with you in the kitchen, cooking up a fun treat.

Wondering where to start? When bringing children into the kitchen for the first time, presenting a brief safety demo is a smart use of your parenting skills.

Simply remind them about the importance of washing their hands, being careful with knives, steering clear of hot burners and turning everything off when they are finished.

What to cook? Pizza is one option that can please the entire family. Make your own dough from a recipe or purchase a premade crust, then layer tomato sauce, veggies, pepperoni and mozzarella.

Kids may also want to experiment with some unusual toppings they find in the fridge. If so, you may want to make a bunch of mini-pizzas in case some experiments wind up less successful than others.

A fun activity for weekends that can also make you popular with your wife is to team up with the kids to cook breakfast in bed for mom. Think omelets (kids love to crack and whisk eggs) or pancakes.

Cookies can be a good starter activity for kids who are too young to do much beyond stir batter. Let kids get creative with the dough and make funny or unusual shapes.

Bonding in the kitchen can be a great way to apply your parenting skills so that everyone learns and has fun – plus, you get to sit down with the little ones to enjoy the results.



By: Sarah Beldo

About the Author:
Sarah Beldo is a parenting advice and parenting skills specialist for greatdad.com.

Kids Online Recipes

Contrary to the common belief, kids do enjoy cooking. One obvious reason for this is, when cooking, your kid will be exposed to many colorful ingredients. Teaching your kids to cook is also a good way to explain to them how measurements work and how important is patience. But of course, the most important part in getting your child to feel competent at cooking is that it’ll lessen your work and stress in the kitchen. It has been proven that having a kid help in the kitchen can lessen the mad rush that most adults feel when they’re dealing with the stove and pots.

When is the right time to acquaint your kid in the kitchen, you ask? Actually, there is no “best time”. Of course, you can teach him anytime in the day. But it is better to teach a kid how to cook when preparing dinner. Aside from the fact that everybody in your family will be able to appreciate the food the lad has cooked, there are also a lot of easy dinner recipes that both of you can try without getting hassled. One good example is the traditional “Beans and Franks”. Apart from being affordable (this recipe only needs a number of hotdogs, mustard and a big can of baked beans), the preparation of this dish is so easy that your kid can do it himself. It’s a good start to teach your kid how to work with an oven too.

If your kid is having a party, you can encourage him to prepare the food with you. Parties are actually the perfect “excuses” to teach your kid the basics of food preparation. Most kids party recipes are easy to make and colorful and they will definitely catch the interest of your kid. One simple kids party recipe is Cheese shapes. For this recipe, your kid can freely use his imagination in shaping the puff pastry. The fact that he can eat his “shapes” after they have been baked will surely excite him.

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By: Jizmack Baraceros

About the Author:

Freelance Web designer and Artist