To allow my 10 yr old DS cook dinner every day

[NobbyD]

DS is 10 and massively into cooking. He pretty much thinks, reads and watches everything there is to know about cooking, baking and cuisine. He's a little chef in the making.

He started cooking dinners once a week for us, then got the buzz and now pretty much plans our weekly meals using recipes from Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey and the like. He makes breakfast and dinner every single day. And I'm not talking bung in the oven, or jar stuff. He'll cook risottos, seafood pasta, curries, and especially likes cooking fish and seafood with an array of veg. His ultimate day out is going to the fishmonger, choosing a fish he's not heard of and then finding a recipe, then going to a greengrocer for organic veg and then cooking it. He's honestly amazing! And I've even now got him washing up before and after.

My question is, should I allow him to cook every day? I've been told that I shouldn't let my 10yr old cook for me everyday. That it could be dangerous for 10yr old to be using the oven, the hobs, grill, etc etc. That I'm the mother, I should be cooking for him or at least with him (he doesn't want me in the kitchen, he hates it if I look over him but I am supervising from the other room where I can see him). But tbh, he's better than me. His meals are nutritious, cooked from scratch, and balanced (nothing that I could achieve). But I've been told that like any hobby/obsession, there needs to be a balance. He needs to find other interests. He's only 10!

He plays football for a team too. He also has a younger brother, 6, who is disabled. So his cooking time is when he gets to relax and do something he loves away from his very demanding brother. I've even woken up of a weekend and DS1 is making cakes with DS2 at 7.30am letting his little bro stir the mix!!

I'm trying to find him a culinary school but all the ones for kids are basic stuff like pizza making, which is so below his standard he'd be bored, and all the ones he would like to do are for adults only.

AIBU to allow him to indulge in his cooking obsession at 10 or should I fully embrace this and be grateful I have DS who is smart, talented, and wants to cook for the family?

He sounds like a remarkable young man! Get him to search for Zumbo's Just Desserts on YouTube, sounds like he'd enjoy it. Oh and if he's starting secondary in September, you may want to warn the Food Tech teacher...

Yanbu I was like this as a kid, by age 11 I was catering my parents dinner parties and largely independently buffet catered a wedding for 80 at the age of 12!
I will give this warning though, make the most of it, distractions are around the corner! I remember an infamous ‘profiterole’ incident when I rushed them and they came out crap because I was doing them quickly to go out to the cinema with the boy I liked (age 15!) my mum and dad were completely gutted
In all seriousness if it’s safe and he enjoys it then let him crack on, did me no harm, but make sure he knows he can bow out at any time he wishes!

He spun bass grand and if it's his thing then let him do it.

At ten my DD had to sort her pony out twice a day. Ponies was her thing that she enjoyed and she got on with it. I'd be at the yard doing my horse and t'other DD would be doing hers. The only thing to watch out for is burn out. There may come a time when interest, for whatever reason, wanes.

Wow your son is amazing OP!
My son was into cooking but he was about 13 when he started.
He still cooks everything from scratch and he's 40 now...he says it's always been relaxing for him and just takes his mind completely off anything else whilst he's doing it.

It looks as though your young man could be the next Jamie Oliver!

@CaptainJaneway62 Thank you! To be the next Jamie Oliver would be his dream! He's now on instagram and has started posting his cookng pics, so next goal is to get Jamie to like his posts

@lotusbell I will check that out. And yes, I can imagine his food tech teacher might be in for a shock come September! He's keen to go the the secondary school he didn't get into cause they do two-hour lessons! Two whole hours of cooking!!

He sounds amazing and so passionate about his cooking.

I think inviting a friend round to cook will just be irritating for your DS as it would anyone having someone getting under foot in the kitchen.

I love how your DH feels he has to drag your son to sports social events when all your DS is probably thinking about is his next menu.

To be good at anything takes lots of practice be it music, cooking, sport etc and many of these need to be done alone for many hours so yes let him carry on as he wishes.

My DS 13 is currently obsessed with cooking fried eggs all the time and my DD 11 bakes and decorates cakes alone all the time. She takes them into School and uses her pocket money to buy ingredients on the way home from School.

In my house, the person who makes dinner does not do the washing up after. Perhaps you could help with washing up after? As he made the effort to make the dinner. That is amazing he is so into cooking and has found his passion. I would still offer to cook a couple times a week in case he wants a break. But if he really is adamant that he wants to cook, I would just let him, but then help with the tidying after.

Thank you so much to everyone for your support. Last night I set him up on Instagram - Conndachef if you fancy having a look - and today he has just been followed by Marcus Wareing. He will be ecstatic when he comes out of school

and today he has just been followed by Marcus wareing

That’s so cool

@LaurieMarlow I know right??!!

If established chefs are noticing him on social media you could put a post on asking for advice on getting into the industry. You may just find a mentor for him.

Great thread and I think you're going about this right. My DS has always loved cooking (but so do I, and we have a robust dialogue about who gets to cook what). Now, we tend to do kitchen porter duties for each other's meals. And DS first job is as a junior chef in a five-star hotel with its sights set on Michelin honours.

Another book to check out alongside the Flavour Thesaurus is the new one from the same writer, called Lateral Cooking, published last year which explores ingredient ratios and how to adapt and tweak basic processes to riff off the initial starting point.

Very impressed that Marcus Wareing is already following him! Congratulations!

His food looks amazing! I've given him a follow on Instagram and if you're ever in central London during the week, let me know and I'll bring some cookbooks down for his library

"allow" is a funny choice of word. Who would want their 10 yo slaving over a hot stove every day?

Shame I can't edit a message. That was my initial reaction. Having read more, your DS obviously enjoys it, but at 10, he is surely a bit young to take on the job permanently. I would suggest he cooks once or twice a week.

Also, if he is cooking breakfasts every day, you are going to put on some timber!

Are you living the ideal life or what?

I bet you don't use a toilet brush either?

OP you spelled your son's Instagram name wrong in the first post about it - Condachef as opposed to Condachef. Might need to ask for it to get changed in case people are confused!

Wow, good for DS. There is definitely a passion and a love for cooking, something to be embraced. Can I be first in the queue when he opens his restaurant?

Who would want their 10 yo slaving over a hot stove every day?

Me. A boy who absolutely loves cooking won't see it as slaving.

I think that some people don't see that he could possibly enjoy it as they won't but for him it is not slaving or a job or a chore but enjoyment

no one says only once or twice a week only to football or whatever just as a keen footballer doesn't see training as onerous so OP son doesn't see cooking as onerous

Once he has enough Instagram followers, he needs a YouTube channel!! Career of the future in the making:. Unboxing ingredients, tips, lessons.

Just followed him. His food looks lovely. I'm so jealous, why didn't I breed a chef? I hate cooking

I've followed him too. Our very own MN chef.

If he does the cooking, it's probably fair that someone else clears away and does the washing up! But otherwise, it's great that he has a passion