Kids in the Kitchen

We get asked a lot about kids classes, and they are something that just doesn't quite fit into the picture of Awn right now. As much as I would love to host kids workshops, they are, as you can imagine (and likely appreciate) a very different thing. In saying that - and without contradicting myself, I think it is so important for kids to learn to cook and to build confidence in the kitchen. Cooking and baking are so much more than "just cooking and baking," - there is reading, writing, math skills, there is safety and hygiene, there is confidence, inspiration and perhaps best of all encouragement to try new things. There is a connection of learning where our food comes from, how it goes from ingredients to something delicious to eat.

I am not a parent, but I have a wonderful niece named Olivia who will be 11 in April and a super nephew named Bryce who turned 9 in December. Both enjoy spending time in the kitchen, and they are perhaps my favourite sous chefs. They go through phases where they are more eager to be in the kitchen than others, they go through phases where they can work in the kitchen together and other phases where they need individual time. Their interests change as do their tastes, but whenever they ask to bake or cook with me, no matter how tired or how much I might not feel like it, I always say yes. Fostering a love of cooking and baking in both of them is so important to me - for so many reasons. So, although I am not a parent I have spent loads of time in the kitchen with both kiddos since they were on my hip trying something and "helping" to just able to stand on a stool to today.

There is no question the kitchen can become chaotic when you have kids with you - it can be messy, mistakes can happen, it can take patience, it can feel overwhelming. Kids aren't perfect, neither are we - embrace it, roll with it, have fun!

I recently shared a video of Olivia making pancakes on social media - from start to finish along with a story of her famous pancakes. When I shared this video, someone reposted it and said something along the lines of the importance of kids learning to cook because eventually kids become adults and if they can cook as a child, they certainly will be able to cook as an adult. Aha! What a great thought.

Olivia has been making pancakes whenever she has a sleepover since she was 3 or 4. She used to help by going through the recipe and saying “check” as we gathered ingredients… I would do a call out of ingredients - reading from the recipe as she pulled the ingredients I had laid out in front of her, towards herself saying “check!” This translated to her play kitchen as she would call out a list of ingredients and say check pretending to read a recipe - often the ingredient list would be like this, “eggs - check; coffee - check; mustard - check!” HA!

I would measure, she would dump ingredients into the bowl, she would count, and hold the mixer. She would watch as we cooked the pancakes. She then started to measure on her own with help and guidance, and she'd flip one pancake in the pan. Now she can make the recipe from start to finish - a half batch or a full batch, she knows if she's made the batter a bit too thin or too thick, she knows to get off her stool to stand at eye height when pouring the milk, she knows just when they're ready to be flipped in the pan and how hot the pan needs to be.

Bryce is different than Olivia in the kitchen - he asks more questions, he needs to understand the why behind steps, and he's needs more of a heads up as you go from step to step. They have two different learning styles and that's okay. In the fall we were in Jasper on a family trip eating lasagna that I had made - not a typical meal that he would like - too many layers and too many bits in each bite - he loved it. I think it was the setting he loved and the feeling of being in such a special place with his people - but he asked how it was made and asked if he could learn. So the next time he was over - I was sure to have pasta dough ready for him to roll, Bolognese and béchamel ready - we got to work. He rolled and cut the pasta, layering it together with the two sauces and freshly grated parmesan, asking questions as he went. He devoured it and as he went to bed that night he asked me, “auntie, would it be okay if I took those leftovers for my school lunch on Monday?” A win all around.

With both kids I really work to ask them questions as we go - why do you think we do this? How did it feel doing that? What do you think? Rather than letting them lean on me too much for answers, but also to let them know I value their thoughts. I've always done this with them, the questions change as they get older - and although I miss the days of them being so wee they'd stand on a chair from the kitchen table with the back of the chair perpendicular to the counter, my leg up on the back of the chair to stop them from falling, I love watching them grow and become more confident, intuitive and watching their love of good food come to life.

As Olivia and Bryce get older I spend less time with them in the kitchen - they are busy, I am busy… But my hope is to continue to share recipes and videos from the kitchen with them - from their perspective too, not just mine - stay tuned!

My main tips for being in the kitchen with kids:

• Be prepared, period!
• Use a recipe you know well or give it a thorough read through before you start (without them)
• Be organised and have a plan before you start or let the child know
• Follow through - if you say you'll do it, do it!
• Have time - and give yourself extra time
• Read through the recipe together before starting - depending on their age you can let them read through it, ask them questions, be sure to ask if they have any questions
• Have space - a crowded workspace instantly feels overwhelming
• Gather all ingredients and equipment first - go through the why behind this step - quite simply it sets you up for success
• Commit only when you have time - but make time - if you are rushed to meet a deadline like supper or getting out the door, it might not be the time to cook with kids, but if they are eager, make time for it on the weekend, or on less busy weeknights
• Remember mistakes are okay - I know this can be hard especially if you are cooking dinner or if it's an epic failure and the cost of ingredients - but they are part of life - how we react will instill confidence and understanding or can be negative and have kids pull away from time in the kitchen
• Involve kids in the entire process - from understanding how ingredients are grown / produced / raised, to how they make it to a shelf, shop together, visit farmers markets and farms, ask questions
• Start a garden - things that produce a lot and are easy to eat straight from the plant - peas or tomatoes are a great start!
• Learn together - kids feel great learning with someone, as do adults, try new things together, ask questions together, research together, build a strong connection to the entire process
• Remember there are often multiple ways to do something!
• Build healthy relationships with food - from the process of sourcing, to cooking, to eating… Avoid strong words that can skew food - food is nutrition, food is fun, food is connection, food is stories, food is culture, food is part of life… Avoid saying things that bring a negative connotation to food from price to taste to health (recognizing the relationship you have with food in this is huge) - teach good skills, balance and good habits, teach an understanding
• Remind kids that it's okay to not like everything they eat - but they need to be kind, and in that - it's important to try everything - but avoid coming down on them when they don't like something - we don't like everything - this is so important to building a positive relationship with food - which spans beyond nutrition, it's intertwined in our lives
• Remember the kitchen is a place to make a mess - there is of course the step of cleaning up that comes with it - and have them take part in this depending on age
• Learn together - one of my favourite things about being in the kitchen with Olivia is Bryce is viewing a recipe, ingredient, or process from their view - sometimes we get in such a “rut” of the way we do things and seeing it from their perspective can change that
• Trust! Kids are stronger and smarter than we give them credit for. They can use a knife if they are taught how and understand how strong it is, they can be near a hot stove or oven as long as they understand the risks - trusting them instills confidence
• Depending on the age - use the kitchen as a place to teach other skills as mentioned above - math, reading, writing…
• Taste, taste, taste
• Remember - if kids help prepare something they are more likely to try it!
• Have fun and talk throughout the process, sit down, and enjoy whatever you have made, gift it - build confidence, trust, skill and knowledge!

Happy cooking and baking!