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Your social media algorithm has definitely shown you different videos of Asian countries, especially China and Japan, where kids perform independent activities from a very young age. By performing individual activities, those cute little kids are overcoming their fear and getting used to the world.
It is said that kids who are independently doing certain tasks can think and perform better during emergencies, keeping themselves calm. Aside from cooking, you might have seen children walking alone to schools from a very young age in these Asian countries. These are some of the few tasks that kids are expected to learn independently. The faster they learn, the more pride parents show for their child as a culture.
According to relationship counsellor Sana Panagar, "doing small chores and independent tasks which is age appropriate for the kids cannot only give the kids a sense of accomplishment, but it will also open up the rational thinking at an early age making their mind more active and brave. Parents also become more confident and less worried about their child from an early age, which builds up a healthy relationship depending on both sides."
Kindergarten Cooking: A Glimpse How Advance Kids Are In China
In Chinese kindergartens, children learn self-reliance by cooking and doing laundry while their counterparts in other kindergartens eat, sleep, and play games.
They prepare their meals daily and have outdoor stoves that fit their height. They prepare clean, chop veggies, and consume their food with enthusiasm. They willingly tidy up after eating, even forming a line to wash the dishes. The 2018 ban on teaching the primary school curriculum in kindergartens has brought a move toward more creative and varied activities.
Whether they see adults in person or online, children frequently mimic their behaviour. With their amazing ability to mimic the precise movements of a brilliant chef, kindergarten-aged children in China have won over the hearts of numerous internet users.
Parents send their children to kindergarten to teach them the fundamentals of cooking, cleaning, and other physical activities necessary to sustain daily routines and lifestyles. Because of their rigorous curricula, the preschools for young children, ages three to six, have been termed military-style. While other netizens find simple ways very advanced, concluding this is why China is on top of every sports, educational and other national events.
Children can be seen using a spoon to manage the wok with remarkable competence in the videos you watch. Videos of kids demonstrating various skills are one thing that never ceases to astound anyone.
How To Teach Cooking To Children Through Various Ages?
"Cooking can benefit children in various ways, such as making independent decisions and knowing about measurements (maths), opening up rational minds as well as common sense. Cooking is also therapeutic, and parents and children can bond at the same time, making it last as a core memory. Cooking can also inculcate healthy habits in children to eat nutritious", says Sana.
Cooking Techniques For Young Children
Children between the ages of one and three will likely exhibit interest in what their parents do in the kitchen. You may involve your child in the kitchen in small but meaningful ways, even if they begin as interested spectators. Because they are inquisitive and enjoy using their hands to feel different textures, this is an excellent age for them to become interested in cooking.
Try These Activities:
- Clean the vegetables and then transfer the dry ingredients to a mixing dish.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients and stir.
- Use a plastic, kid-safe knife to cut up fruits and vegetables, especially delicate ones like bananas and tomatoes.
- Hand-knead the dough lightly.
- Decorate a cake with sprinkles and other embellishments.
Cooking Techniques For Older Children
Children become much more independent and agile at three; they can even be trusted with increasingly sophisticated kitchenware. Depending on how competent and comfortable you think your child is, now is the time to try letting them do more culinary duties.
Try These Activities:
- Make use of a sieve
- Mash the boiling potatoes
- Fill a bowl with liquid from a container
- Grease a baking dish
- Using the stove and microwave safely
- Using a blender or cheese grater under supervision
- Squeeze the citrus
- Grease a baking dish
- Brush a pastry with butter or egg
- Utilise a cookie cutter
- Toast with peanut butter spread on it
- Top pizza dough with toppings
Cooking Techniques For Teenagers
Teens cherish their autonomy. Assembling their school lunches or even cooking supper for the entire family one night a week is one method to empower kids to take responsibility for their own lives. However, you will need to determine whether they can handle such a significant task and are ready to do so.
Try These Activities:
- Measure and weigh the ingredients
- Make use of a stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Make use of a vegetable peeler
- Provide a sharper knife so that carrots and cucumbers can be chopped
- Make scrambled eggs or boil water on the stove
- Utilise the oven on your own.
- Bread, pork, and vegetables
- Study the regulations for food safety
Reasons Why Cooking Is Essential For Your Kids
Motor Abilities
Cooking enhances hand-eye coordination for tasks like kneading dough, slicing vegetables, and stirring curry. The child also learns to multitask because various food preparation involves various steps. Children's fine motor skills are enhanced when they simply mix materials like pulses with water to learn about the texture and fineness of substances.
New Foods And Flavours
Youngsters enjoy trying new foods, so when they come into the kitchen, they sample fruits, pickles, and spice toys. The youngster will experience new flavours and make it a point to eat their newly discovered favourite foods if given the right direction and safety precautions. Parents can also learn which new foods their kids enjoy by participating in this entertaining activity.
Self-Assurance
Youngsters who assist their parents in preparing their favourite meal feel accomplished and frequently gain the confidence to prepare their special dish for the family and guests.
Fussy Eating
Parents are quite concerned about their children's eating preferences. However, allowing kids to make their own "tasty" food with the same components gives them a sense of pride in the product. As a result, kids don't waste food they've prepared, preventing them from being malnourished.
Introducing New Terms
Cooking offers various benefits. Repeating the names of vegetables or cereals in the kitchen while they cook, a parent can assist a child in identifying food items in this way. Reading out the ingredients of prepackaged food items also piques children's curiosity and develops their knowledge.
Assisting Their Families
When instilled at a young age, the virtue of responsibility works wonders. Children are exposed to cooking because they observe their parents prepare meals for the family and want to be like them. This allows them to demonstrate their abilities positively and do something for their parents.
Patience And Discipline
For a delicious palate, cooking is a process that must be carefully followed. Since cooking cannot be hurried, the activity encourages youngsters to work patiently. Curious kids will also learn how their parents present food, which can help them with many related manners like eating habits and table manners.
Cooperation
Children who enjoy cooking frequently offer to assist their parents after witnessing them regularly make meals. Children learn teamwork when the complexity of cooking grows since they cannot continue without their parent's assistance. In larger social contexts, these qualities bring out the best in kids.
