We are thrilled to be able to have Kaley Martin from the Steadfast Project joining us to discuss how you can get your children involved in the kitchen! The Steadfast Project offers leadership development and life-skills classes including camps and retreats for kids in school. They offer cookery classes designed for students at home beginning in September, and will continue all through the autumn!
My first time teaching cooking to children came the year 13. I was applying for a counselor position at camp and was requesting to be the Cooking Head. I was informed that this was among their less popular activities and that I’d probably only be able to take only one or two classes as compared with the 5 classes that other popular activities may offer. Then it was summer and I set out to revive the art of cooking. My first camp day was enrolling in activities which put me in full marketing mode. I was able to convince all campers who listened to me that to have the most enjoyable summer of their lives, they needed to enroll in the cooking classes I teach. I don’t know what it was about the idea of learning to cook that made them want to sign up or if they thought I was a pity for them and I did end up taking the maximum amount of students in these two classes, and I needed to add three more. The following summer, another chef was hired and the number of cooking classes that were offered increased by two.
Since then, I’ve instructed cooking in three distinct camps in the summer and also offered online classes and I am currently teaching here at home at Oxford, AL with my instructor Jessica Aycock. All of this is not to claim that I’m an expert cook. However, I do have plenty of experience in convincing children that cooking isn’t just enjoyable, but also a useful life skill that everybody should master!
Today, I don’t struggle to convince children that cooking can be interesting, but I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge for teaching the art of cooking to people of all ages. Here are a few of them:
- Make time for it to learn: As a chef, I’m aware that the “time needed” in a recipe might not necessarily correspond with the amount of time that you’ll need when teach children. However, to be truthful, I’m not a mother, so I inquired Jessica what she would have seen at her home. “You need to remain realistic in your thinking and be ready to accept messes as well as inefficiencies” she told me.
In general, if the recipe calls for 20 minutes of preparation time I’m prepared to increase it by a factor of two (you should be prepared to double the mess and clean-up time)! It’s no secret that a lot of patience will be the most valuable benefit when it comes to introducing this ability. You may be able to accomplish it quicker and have dinner served earlier when you were doing it yourself, but be sure to remind that you are investing the time you’re making. Although you might be competent enough to crack a half dozen eggs in an hour, adding your child in the process means that a quarter of eggs will end in the ground and you will take five minutes to pull the egg shells from the bowl. But, flash forward one month and you can prepare eggs for your family in less time, because there is an egg breaking professional who is scrambling eggs while you cook the vegetables.
So invest now. Make dinner earlier and make sure you have time for cleaning. As you add every new ability to your child’s repertoire gradually, they’ll turn into your assistant chef. The extra time you spend now will bring faster dinners in the near future. Not only that, it can also create an abundance of memories to be shared.
- Put money into tools: You need to be with children in the places they’re. Many aspects of cooking are not suitable for children. The high of the counter as well as how big the press for garlic along with the sharpness your knife. Look for ways to make it more accessible to children of the same age. Montessori or stool-based learning towers are great, but you can also set your task on the table in the kitchen to make it easier to access. Bringing the necessary items to their reach can assist them in gaining independence when it comes to their work. You could also go above and beyond and purchase a variety of kitchen equipment that is suitable for kids. Although they aren’t essential however, they can aid in learning certain skills. Personally, I prefer an assortment of knives that are kid-friendly. They can improve your child’s skills and independence, and also reduce parents’ anxieties. Be sure to teach the attitude of treating all knives as real knives so that abilities can be transferred easily once they are fully prepared for real life.
- Put your money into the future of your family: How many college students will call home in the next month and ask their parents “Hey mom and dad, how can you do?” …”. What better way to help them succeed than by teaching them to take care of their bodies? You’re never late, nor too young! So, whether your child is a toddler or twenty-two years old, take the time today to prepare them to be ready for their future.
Maybe you’re the mom who thinks you don’t have anything to impart. I’m confident that you have it all. Help them become an effective learner. Learn with them. When I teach cooking, I tell students that “there are no mistakes when cooking, there are only learning opportunities”. Sometimes, those lessons teach that sugar and salt appear very similar, and perhaps that one part of the recipe we didn’t include was actually crucial. Learn to make them have fun and to become forever learners.
Jessica said to me that her children often surprise her and show that they are capable of achieving more than expected when given the chance to test. By investing time and effort in her children has helped them improve their ability to follow instructions, improved hand-eye coordination, self-esteem, and an appreciation of importance as they satisfy the needs of their families. Here’s her advice for their parents “Your youngsters will more likely to be eager to join you at the table if they show an interest and enthusiasm when they are in your kitchen. To me, cooking is an extension of me using my time, skills and experience to nourish my family’s bodies as well as their souls. One of my favorite things is creating something tasty to share with others who are enjoying it. When I teach my children how cooking skills, I want that they can experience the same pleasure and make some enjoyable memories!”
Kaley Martin
The owner of The Steadfast Project
Thesteadfastproject.com
