Showing posts from Cooking Education

When can my child start using real knives and kitchen tools?

When can my child start using real knives and kitchen tools?

I still remember the look on my nephew Leo’s face. He must have been about five years old, standing on his little kitchen helper stool, brows furrowed in concentration. He was trying with all his might to cut a banana with a bright blue plastic knife from his play set. The banana, of course, was just getting mashed, and his frustration was bubbling over. He looked up at me with those big, pleading eyes and said, “Auntie Bea, this doesn’t work! I need a real one.”

How Can I Make My Kitchen Safe For My Toddler To Help Cook?

How Can I Make My Kitchen Safe For My Toddler To Help Cook?

There’s a special kind of kitchen magic that happens right around toddlerhood. You’re trying to get dinner started, and you feel a determined little tug on your apron. A small voice pipes up, “I help?” Your heart melts, and in the very next second, a tiny jolt of panic might set in as you picture all the potential dangers—hot stoves, sharp knives, and heavy mixers.