Meal preparation can be a stressful part of parenting, particularly for parents who work outside the home. Not only must they deal with planning meals that the entire family will eat, but they have to prepare them in the short time available between work and evening activities. For parents of pre-teenagers, enlisting their help with meal preparation can alleviate much of that stress.
The Benefits of Involving Tweens in Meal Preparation
When children are involved in planning and preparing meals, they gain a better understanding of the work that goes into cooking and are generally more appreciative of the meals they are served. In addition, when they have more influence over what is served, they are more likely to eat it.
Of course, they may need some guidelines about what constitutes a healthy and balanced meal. But, with some training and supervision, children as young as nine can prepare nutritious meals for the entire family and, as they gain more experience and confidence, they will become more independent.
Addressing Kitchen Safety Issues
Before they start working with food, teach your child about food and kitchen safety. Don't attempt to cover everything in one session or your child will lose interest. Plan to incorporate safety issues into food preparation lessons and expect to repeat them several times. In the first session, provide an overview of the following things:
- Basic food safety practices, such as the importance of washing your hands, avoiding cross-contamination, and preventing food poisoning.
- Operating appliances safely. Go through the basic operation of the microwave, oven, stovetop, toaster, and any other appliance they are likely to use. Be sure they understand which dishes are safe for use with each appliance.
- Dealing with emergency situations, such as fire, cuts, and burns. Be sure they know where to find the fire extinguisher and how to use it, as well as where to find the first aid kit and how to call for emergency services.
The Stages of Meal Preparation
Once you have covered basic safety, you can introduce the three stages of meal preparation: planning, preparing, and cleaning. Depending on the age and maturity of your child, you may want to limit their responsibility to one or two stages at a time, but eventually, your child should be able to handle all three stages for a single meal.
The Meal Planning Stage
This stage involves choosing the foods that will be served and determining if you have all the ingredients. Although even very young children can help at this stage, you may need to provide some guidance about selecting balanced and healthy options. You might consider implementing the following guidelines:
- Meals must consist of the four main food groups – starch, protein, vegetable, dairy. Provide a list of common items in each group that your child can choose from.
- Cooks cannot prepare the same meal every time. Children often have favorites and want to stick with what they know, but eating the same meal over and over can get boring for adults. Encourage your child to venture out of their comfort zone and try new recipes. Go through a cookbook together and identify some recipes that are within their skill level.
The Meal Preparation Stage
Meal preparation is the stage most people enjoy. This is the point where they get to put the ingredients together and transform them into a meal. Discuss the following issues:
- Timing meal courses. One of the most challenging parts of meal preparation is having everything ready at the same time. Beginning cooks often try to prepare meals sequentially rather than thinking about the entire process at once. Discuss the different amounts of time each type of food takes to cook, as well as which foods are easier to keep warm and which ones need to be served as soon as they are done.
- Understanding the language of cooking. Your child may not be familiar with many of the words used in recipes. When considering suitable recipes, review the terminology with your child. Make sure they understand what is meant by common terms, such as sauce pan, simmering, and so on.
The Cleaning Stage
This is probably the least favorite stage of cooking for almost everyone. Most people would enjoy cooking more if someone else did the cleaning up. You can decide if the person who cooks is responsible for the cleanup or not. Many people feel that if someone has done all the cooking, they shouldn't have to clean up too. But, knowing they have to clean up after themselves does encourage people to think ahead, use the minimum number of dishes, and to clean as they go. For this stage of the process:
- Show your child how to wash dishes properly.
- Make sure they have the proper cleaning equipment and know how and when to use it.
- If you have a dishwasher, review how to load it, add soap, and start a wash cycle.
- Review what must be cleaned. Point out all the counters that need to be cleaned, the table that must be wiped, and whether they are required to sweep or wash the floor after each meal.
Patience Pays Off
As with all tasks, there is a learning curve to meal preparation. Initially, you may find that involving your tweens in the process does not save you time and may even take more time. However, if you are patient, it will pay off for both you and your child. You will have more time after work if meals are already prepared when your arrive home and your child will gain an important life skill.
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