Helping Child Development at Home: Spending Time in the Kitchen
With COVID-19 outbreak children spend more time indoors, most of it in front of the screen. In order to support their mental and physical developments, it is important to balance on & off screen times. Parents can try to make time spent together more enjoyable and productive by preparing various entertaining indoor activities for children.
It is very beneficial for children to practice what they learn at school in their daily lives, and to take responsibility for housework such as folding laundry or cleaning at an early age to help their development and the continuity of their learning processes.
Cooking with Kids
Spending time in the kitchen with children at an early age helps them understand how the responsibilities of the kitchen belong to everyone according to their age.
Including children in the cooking process helps to support their mental and physical development and contributes to their growth as individuals with high self-confidence.
The process can become very entertaining for both parents and children when necessary security measures are taken.
The benefits of cooking in the kitchen with your children:
- Strengthens the family ties.
- Helps the children to expand their vocabularies.
- Creates an environment where children can learn by experience.
- Boosts their self-confidence.
- Strengthens their mathematical and logical reasoning skills.
- Strengthens their reading and comprehension
- Strengthens their writing skills.
- Strengthens their fine motor skills and helps to improve them.
- Helps to improve their five senses.
- Improves their hand-eye coordination.
- Strengthens their algorithm developing and problem solving skills.
What to be Careful About?
- Do not place sharp kitchen utensils in places where children can easily reach.
- Do not leave the children alone in the kitchen while cooking.
- Choose simple, easy and straightforward recipes that are convenient for your children’s age.
- Explain their duties in a simple and clear way. Describe what you are doing step by step.
- Explain how they can use hot tools such as stoves and ovens in accordance with their ages.
- Do not get angry with your children if the kitchen is messy, you can tidy the kitchen up together when the cooking is done.
*This content is translated and summarized from an originally Turkish content, click here to view.
