Raising an independent child: How to involve kids in household chores?

How many times have you, as a child, followed your Mum or Grand mum into the kitchen and tried your hand at some cooking? Many times, right! It isn’t difficult to bring kids into the kitchen or do household chores because, unlike any other space in the house, a kitchen is a breeding ground of harmless as well as harmful activities that a child can indulge in. Of course, we aren’t talking about the harmful part here, just what is suitable for a child to do without getting hurt! However, it is easier said than done.

“Though involving children in kitchen duties, apart from other household work, is known to instill in them some really valuable life skills, the training also comes in handy in their later years, when they might be living away from home. Besides, it also builds self-esteem among children.” says Sonal Jindal, parenting expert, Founder, Medusa Exim.

However, bringing in older kids, who are suitably equipped to handle kitchen responsibilities, can be a mean task because children are, often, hard-wired to not do exactly what they are told. So, how do you involve your children in the kitchen? Here are some ways in which parents can encourage children to work in kitchen and reap the benefits later on –

This could be a good way to prepare kids for kitchen duty. And you would get a willing assistant who would refer to the recipe, while you do the preparation and cooking. Bonus points – your child would brush up on his or her reading skills too and gain knowledge about various ingredients.

We aren’t talking about sharp knives, but there are a lot of food ingredients that can be cut, chopped, or mixed with the help of a basic table knife. Preparing bananas, cutting butter into smaller cubes, dicing boiled veggies, all this preparation can be handed over to the young ones. Kids can also be employed to wash/rinse fruits and vegetables.

Scooping out flour, measuring chocolate chips, or pouring wed ingredients can be a fun way to introduce your child to kitchen responsibilities. You can invest in good quality measuring equipment to make the process easier and more attractive.

If you ask a child to prepare a sandwich, chances are they won’t say no! The reason – assembling food gives them a sense of authority without putting them in way of danger like handling fire or sharp knives. So, prepare all the toppings beforehand, and put your son or daughter to work making their own pizzas, wraps, tacos, etc. You can finish off the dish as required.

Apart from safe mixing, chopping, and washing, toddlers would love to press the buttons on your food processor, while you keep the lid on. This step will also help teach them kitchen safety tips. Kitchen work need not be stressful for you, especially if you can involve your children to work with you. The move would not only help them be life-ready but will also help you bond better with them.