4 Valuable Reasons Why Cooking Together Encourages Health and Bonding.

When everyone in the family comes home to shake off the day, what kind of activities do you do? Having something for the entire family to do can help bring everyone together. Even better it can bring more joy into the household, but what kinds of things can you do? One of the best ways a family can come together and bond is through cooking together, let's find out why.

It’s a Great Time to Talk 

We live in a busy world. Most families have both parents working outside them home. If the children are of school age then they will probably only see each other for a few hours on a normal weekday. Taking time to cook together can provide an excellent opportunity for quality time for the family to discuss what’s going at school, what the weeks goals may be and other things like that. I encourage all parents to start this while your children are under 8 because the habits you start now you will still do when they are teenagers. That is when you want them talking to you.

You can also take time to praise your children for whatever they are currently working on, and they will appreciate the positive compliments. As you pull out each ingredient, explain the ways that it can be used or what type of flavour it will add to the dish. Start with simple recipes and you’ll be surprised how much they can learn from you in just a few nights of cooking together. After each meal talk about what you can do to improve on the meal eg spices or decided if the meal is a dud.

Kids Learn Important Skills

The only ways for your kids to sharpen their abilities is for them to be used. When kids help you cook, they improve their fine motor skills. They learn how to pay attention to what they are told to do. You can even give them more of an exercise by incorporating math questions. You can ask them to gather ingredients and measure them. If your children are small, it is important to be patient with them, but you’re giving them a chance to grow into a more developed person. Don't right them off just because they are young and you just want to get the job done. It is such a fabulous learning opportunity for them. Plus when they are older you'll get nights off because they know what they are doing.

Shared Experiences Create Deeper Connections

One of the main reasons that cooking is good for bonding, is because shared experiences make it easier for people to connect with one another. When you’re spending time with your family, teaching them or telling them jokes, they’re learning and feeling supported by you. It’s likely that those moments might be something that they talk about for years to come. Especially when a meal turns out all wrong. They are the best meals for making memories.

Promotes Self-Awareness

One of the biggest complaints that people have about children is their lack of awareness in many cases. When you instruct your child about safety in the kitchen, they'll be a lot less likely to continue being the kind of kid that runs through a room with scissors in their hands. That will make them safer and more aware of their surroundings.