If there is one thing I could change about my childhood it would be my mom teaching me how to cook. I remember being asked to leave the kitchen while she was preparing our dinner. I wanted to learn. I was curious to see how meals were made and learn basic kitchen skills. I’ve always had an interest in cooking and when I became an adult, I taught myself how to do it. I’m still learning new things in the kitchen every day. It never stops.
Teaching my girls how to cook and feel comfortable in the kitchen is important to me. However, I do notice sometimes my mother coming out when I tell them to stay out of my way. It’s something I’m working on and I catch myself doing it. Then I think to myself that maybe there is small tasks that my daughter can do with me and bring her in to help. That is until her interest wanes and she wants to go back to whatever it is she was doing!
I’m not alone here. Many parents aren’t teaching their kids how to cook because they lack confidence in their own skills. Less than half of Canadian parents feel highly skilled at creating a balanced meal and performing common kitchen tasks like seasoning, chopping and pan frying. Let’s work on changing that and get kids into the kitchen with us. You don’t need to be a professional chef to teach someone how to cook. I’m not – I’m just a mom who loves to cook and share what she knows with her kids.
