7 Mistakes You’re Making In The Kitchen With Your Kids

Teaching my kids to cook was the best decision I’ve made in a long time. Too bad I had to make these mistakes first!

When I first started working and homeschooling at the same time, I made a big mistake. It wasn’t the first, and it won’t be the last. Mistakes. They really are the best teacher.

Although, to be perfectly honest, I’d rather learn from someone else’s mistakes, wouldn’t you?

Quicker, easier, and less painful that way.

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If teaching your kids to cook is on your to-do list, and it should be (preferably before they hit the teenage stage of eating you out of the house and home), read this first.

Mistake #1: You Don’t Let Them In The Kitchen

I get it. I really do. The kitchen can be a scary place.

There are sharp knives, steaming water, pots, pans, and stuff going on. The last thing you want to be doing when you are rushing around making a meal is tripping over a little one.

Or trying to hold a conversation with a kid who is asking a million and one questions about a Lego world you haven’t even heard about while figuring out a new recipe.

I know you are busy and don’t have time for this…but how will your children learn if they aren’t there to see?

Let them in the kitchen.

If they are really little, use a booster seat where you can lock them in safely out of reach of harmful things and let them play with a bowl of rice or beans and measuring cups. Stir with wooden spoons.

Give them age-appropriate tasks. Little ones can get your veggies out of the fridge, hand you a loaf of bread to make sandwiches, or get a pot with a cover for you.

Older kids can help write a grocery list, plan meals, and find recipes in cookbooks and online.

In order to cook, they need to be in the kitchen.

Mistake #2: You Expect Cooking To Be Neat.

Creating in the kitchen is messy. The end.

Accept that now, and things will go a lot smoother.

Flour everywhere. Beans and rice are easily spilled. Liquid rings left on counters. Things everywhere.

Children, and let’s be honest, some adults are messy cooks.

Instead of freaking out about it and not letting them cook at all, teach them to clean up.

My kids have always seen me cook and bake with a sink full of soapy water. This allows me to hand wash or soak dirty dishes as I go.

Have cleaning cloths available and demonstrate how to wipe up spills and crumbs.

Do they know where the cloths are? Broom and pan? Dish soap? Towels? Compost bin?

Don’t make it a punishment for cooking or baking. Just keep it as part of the job. You cook, you clean, you eat.

 Pro Tip: Keep a compost bin on the counter for easy access!

Mistake #3: You Didn’t Teach Them To Read The Whole Recipe First

Have you ever gotten so caught up in your thoughts that you began cooking a recipe, and halfway through cooking, you realize you don’t have the chicken for the chicken soup??

Yeah, that.

Kids need to learn to slow down and read the WHOLE recipe first.

Not only will this help avoid the problem of not having everything, but they will know if the butter needs to be softened, the chicken needs to be precooked and shredded, or you need whole wheat flour, not cake flour.

It also teaches them the whole “time management thing” of cooking. As in how long the recipe takes to cook.

I’ve seen a child of mine be SO HUNGRY he’s decided to make a meal. But he waited until 5 pm to start cooking and wants to eat now.

This brings me to my next kitchen mistake…

Mistake #4: You Protect Them From Failing.

I’ve admitted before about my tendency to control “all the things.”

However, I also believe there is more than one way to do something.

In working.

In homeschooling.

And even in the kitchen.

Stepping back and letting the kids make their own mistakes in the kitchen is a learning experience all on their own.

Such as the difference between baking powder and baking soda in mug cakes. *ew*

Mistaking salt for sugar. Or not cracking an egg into a bowl first and getting a mouthful of shells.

We’ve all made these mistakes. It’s how we learn.

Let them fail. Let them learn.

Mistake #5 You Only Give Them Half Of The Tools Needed

If you want your child to cook, they need access to the kitchen. That is a given.

What else do they need?

Lessons on how to use a knife properly are first on my list. Pretty much everything you make will require cutting something.

Access to kid-friendly cookbooks, websites, and YouTube channels to help them explore different types of cooking and baking techniques.

You might want them to learn how to use your kitchen appliances, such as your grill, slow cooker, or Instant Pot.

They will need guidance on how to use these things safely.

For example, I invested in online Knife Skills Classes. At that time, they were on sale from $20 for $7! I feel so much better knowing my kids know how to use knives safely!

Make sure to take the time to show them what they need to know. Demonstrate the skill or task. Then, step back and let them take over.

Maybe you don’t have time to teach them.

Alright, outsource it. Invite Gramma over for a cooking lesson, or better yet, send them to Gramma’s house to make the mess at her house, ha!

Or, invest in a cooking program and see how much they learn.

Giving them the right tools to succeed will bring lasting benefits to your child.

Mistake #6 You Don’t Let Them Try New Things.

Your child wants to mix peanut butter with dill pickles on a sandwich. Or maybe they want to make dill pickle cupcakes for your company.

Let them.

These were actually a hit, even though I was sure they were gonna be gross. You can get the recipe here. Let me know if you try them.

When kids get creative in the kitchen, our immediate response might be “No.” However, when kids try new things, they build self-confidence, learn to trust their instincts, take risks, and handle whatever the result.

These skills are hard-earned but last a lifetime. 

Mistake #7: You Do Everything For Them

I’ve discovered kids seem to have two speeds. Super fast or super slow.

• The super slow mode takes 30 minutes to peel 4 potatoes.
• The super fast mode peels half of the potato and thinks they are done.

Both of these modes make a busy mom want to “just do it for them.” We are busy moms, we know we have to do things fairly quickly to get things done. I want you to resist stepping in and taking over.

It takes time for your kids to figure things out.

I’m big on letting my kids figure things out on their own, which has resulted in more than a few moments of me counting under my breath or praying for patience.

Because when you know how to do it, it seems so easy, and they seem to be doing things the hardest way possible…it’s tough not to say anything. Ugh!

However, when they figure it out, they are so proud of themselves!!

Bonus Mistake # 8 You Say NO More Than YES

Are you a YES mom or a NO mom?

I’m more of a “No.” I tend to err on the side of saying no before I’ve had a chance to think about saying yes.

I’m working on it.

When my kids ask to help with supper knowing it is going to take me longer to make it “no” is my knee-jerk response.

I force myself to say yes.

The more I say “yes,” the easier it became. And the more I said yes, the faster and more comfortable my kids have become in the kitchen.

Which in turn means we’ve had amazing fun discussions. Great food to eat. And I didn’t even make it, ha!

Kitchen Mistakes You Are Making When Cooking With Your Kids

There you have it, 7 kitchen mistakes to avoid making when you are cooking with your kids!

We all make mistakes. I made them when I started this lifestyle, when homeschooling my kids, and I STILL make mistakes. But if you can avoid these kitchen mistakes, teaching your kids to cook will be so much easier!

• Mistake #1: You Don’t Let Them In The Kitchen
• Mistake #2: You Expect Cooking To Be Neat.
• Mistake #3: You Didn’t Teach Them To Read The Whole Recipe First
• Mistake #4: You Protect Them From Failing.
• Mistake #5 You Only Give Them Half Of The Tools Needed
• Mistake #6 You Don’t Let Them Try New Things.
• Mistake #7: You Do Everything For Them
• Bonus Mistake # 8 You Say NO More Than YES

What other mistakes do you see moms making, or have you made yourself that I totally missed? Let’s chat!

Take care

Jen

PS. As a busy mom, you might think finding the time to teach your kids is impossible. We use and love the E-course Kids Cook Real Food. You can read what the kids and I thought about it  here: Homeschool Cooking Curriculum We Love – Our Experience With the Kids Cook Real Food Program

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