Parenting expert Sarah Ockwell-Smith reveals why parents should cook with their children.
Sarah Ockwell-Smith shares the top ten benefits of cooking with your children
Spending quality time in kitchen and making simple yet delicious food is at the heart of Italian cooking. After what has been a difficult year for most, getting creative in the kitchen with your children has created joyous memories and experiences, for both parents and children alike. In fact, research conducted by the world’s largest family-owned pasta brand, Barilla, found that 64 per cent* of parents say they’ve spent more time in the kitchen with their kids because of the pandemic.
As part of Barilla’s Kids in Cucina campaign, parenting expert Sarah Ockwell-Smith reveals the top ten benefits of cooking with your children.
Below are the top ten benefits to cooking with your children:
- It increases confidence levels and self-esteem – When children create something themselves, it leaves them with a feeling of pride and accomplishment.
- It reduces picky eating – Getting your kids involved in cooking can lead to a greater acceptance and liking of vegetables.
- It reduces the chances of developing obesity later in life – By giving children the knowledge and tools to prepare healthy meals, it sets them up for heathy eating habits in the future.
- It improves fine motor skills & hand eye coordination – The kitchen is the perfect place to improve fine motor skills and hand eye coordination with different activities ranging from chopping, peeling, mixing, kneading, stirring, and spreading.
- It teaches math’s skills – From weighing, measuring, and counting ingredients, the kitchen doubles as a classroom with impromptu math’s lessons!
- It helps children to follow instructions and improves their problem-solving skills – Anything can happen in the kitchen! From missing ingredients to accidental mishaps, kids can apply problem solving concepts to their real-life cooking activities.
- It improves speech and vocabulary skills - By simply discussing recipes and instructions, you’re expanding your child’s speech and vocabulary.
- It improves reading ability – Reading recipes together is a great way to continue building upon their reading abilities.
- It grows their sustainability knowledge – Cooking with children helps them learn about the source of their food and encourages them to think more about the environment and sustainable food production methods.
- It provides scientific lessons – From looking at reactions to combining certain ingredients to assessing textures, tastes, and changes when cooked, the scientific lessons provided through cooking are endless.
Sarah notes that, “cooking with your children is also a great bonding opportunity. Many parents worry that they don’t spend enough quality time with their children, especially with the time pressures of modern-day living, but involving children in cooking the daily family meal doesn’t require any extra time.
”Planning and cooking a meal together is a low-cost way to do something fun and entertaining, at a time when many of us are needing to be more conscious of our family budgets. Pasta is an especially cost effective and filling meal to cook together with your children.”
For more top tips from Sarah Ockwell-Smith and recipe ideas to get your kids started on their culinary journey from family chef Michela Chiappa, please visit Barilla’s Kids in Cucina Hub.
