Teaching Kids To Cook: Basic Safety Rules
October 19, 2009 by Michelle Smith
Filed under Recipes
Part of my job as a parent is to teach my kids to cook. I want to know that when they leave my house, they know how to prepare a healthy meal. Over the years they’ve learned how to make basics like sandwiches, salads, eggs, or packaged foods. Now it’s time to take things a step farther. It’s time to get cooking.
The first step is to go over some safety skills.
*Always wash your hands. If you touch raw protein – meat or eggs, for example – wash them again.
*Children under 12 shouldn’t use the stove without an adult near.
*Read the entire recipe all the way through. Next, gather your ingredients and tools. Then, begin your dish.
*Explain to kids that when it comes to cooking, a recipe is a guide. Ingredients can be switched out or substituted according to what is available or an individual’s tastes, but baking in more of an exact science and the measurements are important in order for a recipe to turn out correctly.
*Cut everything on a cutting board. This saves your counter and your fingers. Use a sharp knife, because it’s easier to get hurt with a dull one.
*Use a hot pad or oven mitt and make sure it stays dry. A damp hot pad is no protection – I’ve learned from experience.
*Call an adult if something catches fire. Don’t try to put a fire out with water – it needs to be smothered with baking soda. Or if it’s small and in a pan, put a lid over it. A fire needs oxygen to continue.
*When using the stove, turn the handles away from the edge, especially if small children are around.
*Teach your kids about food temperature and how to safely store leftovers.
*At this point cooking is second-nature to us, but it’s all new to them. I can remember my dad teaching me to make a potato salad when I was 14. He was sitting in the living room reading the paper, not paying any attention to me. Boy was he surprised when he tasted my potato salad made with uncooked potatoes. Don’t assume your child knows how it’s done – be clear and specific in your directions.
Image credit: Sxc.hu
