Tips on teaching your child to cook?

[WhatWouldTheDoctorDo]

I did a lot of baking with DS in the pre-school years, but managed to get out of the habit more recently.

He's now 7 and I'm keen to start teaching him some basic, but age appropriate, cooking skills. Any top tips on getting started?

Learning to hold a small knife and safely cut things is not a bad idea. Under close supervision. Could you just him to help you with little bits when you are making dinner? Ie he could probably mash mashed potato? Stuff like that.

Having them beside you in the kitchen helps. Get a chair or stool so they are definitely the correct height for the work surface when they are using a knife. Have them write the list of ingredients and then shopping for them is good. Most jobs in the kitchen at the age of 7 they can safely be doing whilst supervised.

To encourage mine to cook we do a mini come dine with me meal where we each pick one course and make it.

Watch cookery shows with them. My DS loves the Hairy Bikers whilst DD is keener on Michel Roux, I think she takes after me.

Sausage rolls, flap jacks, crispy cakes, pizza, all simple straight forward ... BUT teach them to clean up afterwards!

All good ideas, thank you. I do worry about letting him loose with a knife, but I know it's a good thing to start!

My DS is almost 7 and over the last year it's been his job to cook once a week, from the Cbeebies I can cook cookbook - all recipes very simple and age appropriate steps (using scissors to chop spring onions etc), we've nearly done every recipe so on his Christmas list is one of the Usbourne books which are slightly more complicated etc

He really loves it and it helps his reading as well as cooking