10 tips you should follow when cooking with kids

Cooking can be a fun and even relaxing activity. However, when children are involved, it becomes a stressful and challenging task. Take advantage of your days off to gradually involve your little ones in culinary tasks. Here are 10 tips you should follow when cooking with kids.Keep it simpleSave your special recipes, with thousands of ingredients and laborious processes for an occasion when you have plenty of time and don’t have to supervise anyone else in the kitchen.Assign specific tasksChildren, due to their curiosity and restlessness, always want to participate. Let them help with very simple tasks, like tearing the lettuce (with their little hands, of course) or mixing something.Get organized before you startIt’s different when one person is cooking compared to when several hands are involved, especially when they are children’s hands. Review the recipe in advance and lay out the ingredients in the order they will be used.Make it funSometimes chaos arises not so much from the kids but from a lack of space. If possible, assign different areas in your kitchen so that everyone has room to work without getting in each other's way.Ask for their opinionThe goal of involving children is for them to enjoy cooking and develop an interest in it. If they feel they are an important part and can make decisions, it will be easier for them to want to cook on their own later.Create traditions around cookingMake every kitchen experience a very special moment for your children. Perhaps you can tell them a story while they prepare the food or play a game using the letters of the ingredients.Gradually introduce new ingredientsThis tip is great for picky eaters. If your child is a picky eater and doesn’t try just anything, start introducing new foods through recipes. Do it gradually and subtly so your child doesn’t reject them.Don’t try to control everythingForget about keeping your kitchen spotless and preparing a perfect dish. When cooking with your children, the most important thing is that they enjoy the experience and start to feel interested in cooking.Let them experiment with foodline-height: 107%; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; data-mce-style=font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;>In addition to learning to cook, handling food gives children the opportunity to experiment with all their senses. Don’t get upset if you see them putting their little fingers in their mouths; just teach them the importance of cleanliness in the kitchen.Use it as an opportunity to reinforce their knowledgeCooking is also a way to study. Ask them to help you read the recipe, count the ingredients, and check the steps. This will reinforce their reading, comprehension, and numerical skills.Do you have any other tips for cooking with children? Share them in the comments.Feel free to prepare these recipes with your little ones:Creamy Tuna SaladEasy Strawberry PieDelicious Crazy WatermelonGuava Charlotte