What can your dc cook?

[butterflyexperience]

Yes a thread from a thread...

Has got me thinking that my dc are quite good at doing stuff as I have raised them to be independent and to look after themselves.

As in they are 5 & 3, they can dress themselves, tidy up, brush their teeth, lay the table, clear the table after a meal and my 5 year old also likes to wash the dishes.

I would also like to reach them to cook (they can make sandwiches) but I'm not sure what meals they could make as in what would e safe and a reasonable dish for them.

Would spag Bol be a good idea? Or a curry?

What do your dc make?

[throckenholt]

Mine are a lot older than yours (10 and 12) - but I think they started with things like biscuits (me putting and taking out of the oven). Then onto things like flapjack and cakes.

For the last few years they can cook things like casserole, anything that just needs heating in the oven (pies, sausages, fish etc). They can do roasts as well if someone tells them the timings (haven't ever carved the meat though).

[formerbabe]

My kids are the same age....they do baking with me. We make cookies, cupcakes, jam tarts and rice krispie cakes. I let the eldest make sandwiches...he butters the bread with a child's knife so not at all sharp and I supervise.

Tbh, at this age, even with my constant supervision, I won't let them near the hob/oven. They are too clumsy and see no danger in things, so I am waiting till they are older.

You could let them prepare salads, mix things up etc.

Pizza making is very simple and fun for kids and they don't need to be near anything hot. Give them bases, tom sauce, cheese and other toppings and let them assemble.

Hth

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Unless they are cooking with you then obviously there is no dish safe for a 3 and 5 yo to cook.

My DS was about 10 before he could even reach the work tops.

I wouldn't want a 3 yo to be independent anyway to be honest.

[CrohnicallyTired]

What about a pie? I used to love making pastry when I was younger. Or some kind of bread- the kneading is so relaxing.

[Prozacbear]

DS is 2.8 and I've started him whisking eggs (I hold the bowl!) and anything else whiskable or mixable.

He is also allowed to sprinkle - homemade pizza toppings mostly but he does an excellent eton mess!

Really though, I think 3 and 5 is too young to actually 'cook' i.e. chop, heat anything. It's another game, one which you're supervising very carefully.

[Sirzy]

DS helps cook lots of bits but I think its expecting a lot to ask them to actually cook a hot dish - there is no safe way for them to do that unless they are very very closely supervised.

[cricketballs]

My main aim when my DS were born was that my future DIL were going to love me so I have made sure that the eldest (not so much the youngest yet as he has SN) can use the washer, the hoover, iron and how to cook can you tell that my only child, spoilt DH couldn't when we first moved in together he started off with simple things but now he can cook a full meal for the family and he enjoys doing it

[Tailtwister]

A pie is an excellent suggestion. They can make the pastry and then roll it out.

My two are 3 and 5 and they do mostly baking with me (cakes and biscuits). We did do a rather good gingerbread house last year and they had a whale of a time piping (well, squirting really) the royal icing on.

I allow them to slice up bananas with ordinary table knives (under my supervision) when making pancakes and they love mixing up the batter.

Pasta making is another good one. We had a great time making farfalle (the little bows).

[Tailtwister]

Have you ever seen the 'My Daddy Cooks' website? I haven't looked at it in ages, but there are some rather good videos of Archie and his Dad doing cooking together.

[teenagetantrums]

well mine are teenagers now and can cook anything given the recipe, my 18year old did xmas dinner last year. They started when very little helping me make cakes and get stuff ready for dinner. If left up to them they would just bung stuff from freezer in the oven for dinner, but if asked they will cook something like curry or spag boll for dinner, mind you they make a mess, I would rather cook and let them do the washing up.

[gettingeasiernow]

Pancake batter and yorkshire pudding batter - not the cooking part obviously though.
Any cake mixture, lots of weighing and mixing and decorating afterwards.
That's about it really until they can handle sharp knives, hot things and remember not to touch raw meat and then put their fingers in their mouths.

[Hulababy]

DD has always cooked with me from being very small. Almost always cooking, rather than baking - I am less keen on the latter, though have baked with her a little too.

She started by helping out - washing veg, tearing lettuce and mushroom apart, rolling out dough/pastry, mixing things in bowls of the hob, using the whisk, etc.

At 5y she had moved onto cutting too - she had a child's knife from Pampered Chef (iirr??) .

Burgers and meatballs are ideal for hands on cooking, moulding into shape, etc. And anything that can be done off the hob/away from the oven.
Toast can be done fairly early too.

She's 11y now and can make most things by following recipe. She likes to cook so every so often choses her menu, we order the ingredients to come with the week's shop and then she cooks. She needs very little assistace these days.

At Brownies DD did her cook badges, even the first level one involved making a hot drink, so boiling water. And through juniors DD did a half term of cooking where they worked fairly independently.

[butterflyexperience]

Wow your dcs are talented!

Good to get thoughts on that they are to young for hob cooking.

I like the idea of baking, pastry making, whisking and assembling.

For some reason I'm really fearful of them dealing with meat like burger shaping.

In my head I think they won't be able to remove the meat from their hands properly and get sick
When in reality im sure they'll be fine.

Thanks for the feed back I'm going to get them more involved in cooking family meals.

[bababababoom]

Mine are 6, 4 and 1. They've all baked cakes and biscuits from an early age, then simple things like cheese straws. The 6 and 4 year old know how to bake a cake by themselves now.

The older two do help me cook almost daily. They can peel vegetables and I do let them chop with a sharp knife, with supervision. They also stir things that are on the hob. Pretty much anything, they can get involved with, but always supervised.

[bababababoom]

They are not too young for hob cooking. My two boiled water on a fire to make hot chocolate at forest school last week, so I think they're fine with a hob - I'm right next top them anyway. I personally think that children are safer if they are taught how to handle risk, and it depends what you're comfortable with and how sensible they are.

[Tattiesthroughthebree]

Slightly older than 5 & 3, but we moved from baking cakes with me to scrambled egg on toast. No sharp knives, no boiling water. And they loved cracking the eggs. If they put a slice of cooked ham on the toast before the scrambled egg, or grated cheese after, you have a proper supper. Also beans on toast, with grated cheese.

An easy pudding which looks good is - bought flan case, make up a packet of Angel Delight, spread it over flan case, slice bananas, arrange them nicely, crumble a Cadbury's flake over it. This is a real Grandma-pleaser at the dinner table!

[CocacolaMum]

my ds has always loved being in the kitchen but my dd is not so keen

He is 12 now. He has always been involved in food prep.. first was washing salad then moving onto peeling and chopping.
I think the first meal he learnt to cook was Spag bol which he now makes nicer than I can. He loves cooking pasta dishes, his idol is Gino Dicampo and he has his own shelf of cookbooks! he cooked a roast chicken dinner a couple of weeks ago but because he likes to do it we have 1 night per week where he gets to pick what he wants and then cook it for our family. This week is slow cooked paprika beef with gnocchi.

I absolutely believe that it is my job as a parent to ensure that my children both know how to cook by the time they leave home and to me that means starting early.

Dd isn't so bothered but she is 7 and does a mean omelette.

[Callani]

It sounds faffy but you can make your own ravioli very easily with little kids - perfect for little fingers and you could do vegetarian options if you're worried about meat.

[Damnautocorrect]

Usbourne do some beautiful childrens cook books. Since about 2 mines been helping do dinner every so often. I'll let him pick dinner out of the book he'll make a list (draw pics) collect the ingredients at the shop than we come home and cook.
You need to get inventive (think katie I can cook!) about cutting and stuff.
At 4 he can do scrambled egg and toast on his own, so when he's a student he'll be ok!!! Everything else is heavily supervised.

[oodyboodyboocs]

My DD just turned 4 loves the Cbeebies I can cook book she has made allsorts of things from there, we're just eating a batch of melting moments fresh out of the oven, yum!
My other Dc's love making bread and plaiting it / shaping it.
Pizza is a firm favourite
Sponge cakes too.

[MrsLouisTheroux]

BRILLIANT !!