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I am the kind of person who is passionate about cooking. My children grew up helping in the kitchen and the idea of teaching them to cook was never necessary because they were learning by doing. Although not all of them share the same passion that I do, they are all more than capable in the kitchen and each has a particular specialty. At times, they even become competitive with each other about who makes the better meatballs or homemade soup.

The kitchen is the heart of the family. Lots of laughs and lots of time to share things together. When my children were still babies, they sat propped up in an infant seat on the table and watched me cook a meal. That progressed into them sitting in their highchair and from there they started assisting and asking questions. The best advice that I can give is to allow your child to help in the kitchen. Take the time to answer their questions and allow them to try and do things themselves. If they spill something or make a mess it is how they learn. If you relax and allow the learning to happen, your child will grow up to have some very good memories of the time they spent with you in the kitchen. Do not be so uptight that you are worried about making a mess. Messes can be cleaned up.

As your child grows, allow them the opportunity to make a family breakfast or whatever meal they would like to try. I have such fond memories of my pre-teenage son making french toast for the family. Son or daughter, in my house both are equal in the kitchen. If you open up the kitchen to them and teach them by example including how to be safe in the kitchen, their natural curiosity takes over. It makes a child feel good about themselves to help out in the kitchen and they are building the skills to be able to take care of themselves some day. The idea that a grown adult cannot cook is so foreign to me, I actually feel sorry for them. The joy of creating a meal and the satisfaction of bringing pleasure to others will boost anyone's self-esteem. Being able to fend for yourself is important as well.

Even if you hate cooking, allowing your child to share in the process of preparing a meal is teaching them how. Try to enjoy the time together and staying in the moment and enjoying that you are spending the time together is priceless. You might even start to enjoy cooking.

Learn more about this author, Priscilla Benfield.
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