Cooking is fun, period. Cooking with the whole family is even more fun.
Cooking can be one of those things that unite the entire family and bring everyone closer together, and it's a great way to build lifelong memories. But for children —our young chefs —to fully participate, they need to be aware of all the dangers the kitchen hides. Then, and only then, can they fully enjoy the activity.
If you teach children safe habits in the kitchen, you're giving them skills they'll have and use for the rest of their lives – so, it's not only fun, it's also extremely useful!
Teaching children how to cook can be one of the most meaningful moments spent with your own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the wayward kids who hang out at your house. Take inspiration from the ancestors, bring the kids into the kitchen, and let them learn how to handle those hot plates, boil water, and create something to eat.
Let's start cookin’!
Sleeves Rolled Up! Aprons On!
The first lesson is clothing – keep it tucked in, and keep it clean.
This serves a couple of purposes. Fluttery bits could catch on a gas hob flame or be dipped in hot grease. These are all avoidable dangers in the cooking life of your little chef. The next is the cleanliness part – by teaching our kids to keep their clothes on, they'll automatically be extra careful with whatever they're doing. This will help them stay safe.
Tuck in your hair, put on an apron, and wear your ‘cooking costume’ like a Mom wears hers to the yoga studio.
Respect The Heat
Kitchens tend to be warm all the time, lots of bodies in the area, heating ovens up, hot pots on stoves, and kettles boiling. The best general rule is:
All pots, pans, oven doors, kettles, and things set on counters are hot until proven otherwise. Even experienced cooks forget to grab an oven mitt before picking up the handle of a pot or accidentally misjudge the weight of hot liquid in the pot and flood the kitchen with hot water, sore toes, and tears.
No worries, be calm.
They’re learning, and it is just important to pay special attention in the busy kitchen:
- Teach the kids that there is a certain marked zone around the oven.
- Always pick up the oven mitts, no matter what you are going to lift.
- Use trivets when placing hot pots to ensure the heat is properly absorbed; never put a pot right on the counter.
Try teaching them your own rendition of the chorus to the song ‘HOT, HOT, HOT!!’
‘When you're in the kitchen, baby, remember everything is hot, hot, hot!’
Steam – Lifting Lids Like A Pro
This little trick will help prevent steam burns. We’ll call it the shield technique.
Always lift the far side of a lid away from yourself so the steam rises in the opposite direction, shielding you from the stream of steam.
Along with the shield technique, try these other tricks to avoid steam scald:
- Never reach across a boiling kettle, as you may get an arm in the steam stream.
- Turn the pot handle inward on a stove so you don’t accidentally flip it by banging it.
- Tilt a lit slightly away from you and set on an angle to release steam before removing the lid fully.
- Please don’t stand in front of an oven in case it releases steam when the door opens.
A scalding from steam can be unexpected and very painful. Treat it with cold water and get to the burn unit right away.
The Spill Zone
Handling hot liquids is very important, as they can easily slip out of your hands, so you need to take precautions:
- Carry bowls and mugs with both hands and oven mitts.
- Do not overfill, as it makes them easier to carry when walking without spilling.
- When you are getting ready to move something with hot liquids, gently shout out ‘Hot liquid behind you!’
One of the first things they can learn is how to heat up bowls of instant soup in a microwave or in a pot on the stove; even an electric kettle will do the trick.
These can be top-heavy and spill easily, and you don’t want a scald on little fingers and hands.
Take cold liquids and let them see how full they should fill the liquid in the container, how it balances differently in a mug, bowl, or take-away cup. They can get a feel for how the liquid moves when walking at different paces.
Also, remind them that the liquid would be hot on their lips and could scald their mouths if not blown on to cool it somewhat before drinking.
It is also important to remind our little chefs that the containers their noodle soup comes in may not be very stable when heated up. Lids may not fit properly with the steam, and it can make a cold container suddenly hot and dangerous.
It’s important that anyone using these containers should be aware of the risk of a serious scald from faulty or poorly made containers/packaging.
If you or your child is ever burned by hot instant soup, immediately place a cool compress on the injured area and go to the burn unit as soon as possible. Families who might experience this kind of mishap should know about their rights, as manufacturers can sometimes be held responsible for such (often) preventable injuries because of vague or confusing instructions or improper packaging.
Contact a lawyer who has experience in dealing with such cases if you want to pursue a burn injury claim.
Conclusion
These simple little hints are a good jumping-off spot to teach safety to your little chefs.
Let them try little things slowly, repeat the lessons, and they will stick with them. To this day, everyone knows when opening a jar, it is righty-tighty and lefty-loosey. These special moments mean more than you realize. It helps boost confidence, makes them think about their actions in a kitchen where a lot is going on and hot stuff (besides the cook).
Mostly, be safe, get help if accidents happen, and have fun. Be messy, laugh, and teach them to be independent and responsible without even knowing they have learned great skills, you know, so they don’t starve when they go to college, or live off pizza!
Even at that, teach them to make a killer pizza before they move out!