The Benefits of Cooking with Your Child
Welcome to a new episode of the We Nurture Podcast! Today is Inspirational Wednesday, and we will be chatting about the power of cooking with your child. In this episode, I share personal experiences I had with my mother, my experience as a Waldorf educator, and experiences with my children in their early childhood years. I use all of these experiences to guide you through the benefits of cooking and preparing food with your child. From social-emotional and cognitive development, building self-esteem, promoting hand-eye coordination, and creating an awareness of their senses, the list of benefits seems endless. You'll begin to understand how, by allowing your child to participate in the kitchen, you'd can create lifelong memories, foster positive relationships, and cultivate a connection to the natural world. My aim is to provide comfort in the face of this potentially daunting task, and encourage a shift in your mindset to move away from your potential fears of mess and imperfection. I hope you can join us for this informative and advice-filled episode!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Children’s interest in adults’ day-to-day tasks.
- A look at my childhood in Nigeria as the beginning of my relationship with food.
- Cooking as an early childhood experience is integral to the Waldorf curriculum.
- The holistic perspective of nourishment as an experience that promotes a healthy relationship with food.
- The importance of children being immersed and included in their surrounding environments.
- Accepting that including your child in cooking may be messy and be imperfect.
- How cooking nurtures your relationship with your child and builds their self-esteem.
- How helping prepare food promotes pre-maths thinking and helps build hand-eye coordination skills.
- How cooking develops language skills, social-emotional and cognitive development, and problem-solving skills.
- Age-appropriate considerations to make in the kitchen.
- Recommendations on how to ensure your child’s safety while preparing food.
