5 things to keep in mind while cooking with kids

Cooking is an essential life skill. Moreover, imbibing culinary skills in the early years of life opens up your kid’s career option as a chef. So, it makes complete sense to introduce your little one to the kitchen by the time she is 5 years of age. But make sure you are always there with her there. It is also a fun way of spending quality time together. However, working in the kitchen with children comes with safety and hygiene issues because there is an abundance of ways children can hurt themselves while cooking. Here are some essentials to keep in mind while whipping up lip-smacking dishes together.   

Never leave your kids alone in the kitchen 
It is important that children cook under the guidance of an adult. Young children should never attempt to use cookware on their own as they require vigilant supervision. As they get more experienced, teens or young adults may be trusted on their own in the kitchen. But encourage them to always inform an adult when they use the kitchen. 

Encourage them to wash hands  
The very first rule of maintaining hygiene in the kitchen is to keep your hands clean. Your children’s play time activities lead them to carry around a lot of germs that can contaminate the food and make everyone sick. Help them develop the habit of washing their hands properly before touching any food or appliances. 

Maintain fire safety rules  
Cooking involves heat, be it on a gas stove or an electric oven or a microwave. Where there is heat, there is the possibility of burn injuries. Emphasize the importance of fire safety and teach your children how to use such appliances responsibly. No metal in the microwave and no plastic in the oven, making sure the gas is off when not in use, no touching the surfaces of the electric stoves, using oven mitts when handling hot plates and utensils are some of the essentials that you need to drill into your little chef’s mind. Make sure to teach kids how to call the fire department. 

Teach knife safety guidelines  
Teaching young children how to use a knife can be tricky. Start them off with a plastic knife with which they can practise general knife safety guidelines: 

• Waving of knife in the air is a no-no.  
• The right way to grip a knife and using a chopping board is necessary 
• Always protect fingers by using ‘the claw’. The hand that is holding the food should have all fingers curled into a claw like shape, inching away from the edge of the knife as they chop the vegetables. 

Also, teach your kids how to use a first aid kit in case of small cuts and nicks. 

Encourage them to keep the kitchen clean  
Motivate your children to clean up spillages and messes immediately as they occur. This lessens the possibility of them slipping or falling, helps keep their workstation clean and hygienic, prevents cross-contamination and makes cleaning up easier at the end as well.