My seven year old cooks the best scrambled eggs I have ever eaten. This is not an exaggeration.  He found a combination of herbs he adds to them to make them quite savory and they just melt in your mouth.  Is he a prodigy? Is he a genius? Well, we are all a bit biased when it comes to our own children, so I think he is perfect. However, the reason he can do this is because of one reason and one reason alone.

I let him try.

It’s that simple. I’ve always encouraged my children to cook with me in any way they were able to at any given age. They all love to cook. I wasn’t afraid of the messes they were going to make. I wasn’t afraid of them messing something up or making it taste funny. I let them try. I let them do what they think is best when it comes to what they are cooking. We have had many messes and some disastrous outcomes that nobody wanted to eat. We have also had quite a few laughs about it and they have learned from their mistakes. Just as in all of life, we all need to make our own mistakes and do it better the next time.  When my son was 3 he learned to crack an egg. By the time he was 5 he was making over easy eggs for himself every morning.  He was taught how to use the stove. He knows safety because I taught him. He knows how to use a knife because I taught him. He tells us which burner he used so we all know which one is still hot. He let’s his 3 year old brother mix things and gets him excited to help as well. His expertise has widened from just eggs. He makes a great chicken soup and some mean guacamole as well as a few other specialties.  He’s not the only one who has these skills. For years now, I’ll smell something yummy when I wake up on a Saturday morning, walk downstairs, and my 11 year old is taking a cake or some other concoction out of the oven. We are still working on the clean up part, but she certainly has become awesome at making things from scratch! My 10 year old loves to decorate cakes and cupcakes. She enjoys making unique treats and made us some amazing whoopee pies not too long ago.

My friends have seen my kids cook and comment on how crazy it is that they do it at such a young age and without my help. Like I said, I let them try.  Too many parents seem to do everything for their kids, as if their kids are going to break or somehow be too fragile to put in the effort themselves. We all need to let them try! And not just in the kitchen!

The world is so concerned with reading, math, science, social studies, technology, etc. I’m on my 7th year home schooling. I’ve taught my children all of those things, but I’ve also paid attention to life skills. My children know how to use the washer and dryer. They unload and load the dishwasher. They take out the trash. They sweep the floor. The older children help feed and dress the baby. I let them take off on their bikes around the neighborhood together. I love that they explore.  They know the rules. They know about safety and emergencies.  We are fortunate to know our neighbors.

Yes, my children have sat down and had to memorize facts and written out worksheets. But they also know how to count money back at a grocery store. They learned science and math and reading from cooking! I was so excited when my 10 year old came home from school and told me that they were doing fractions and it was so easy. She said some other kids were having trouble, but she just remembered what she learned from measuring when we cook! I want my kids to be safe. so I teach them how. I want my kids to learn independence, so I give them some in an age appropriate way. I want my kids to learn to be self sufficient, so they must help out around the house and practice life skills everyday.  It is definitely not always pretty.  Getting kids to do chores can really suck. I just persist. I don’t back down. I don’t give in.  I talk to my kids about the importance of being a team. We all need to work together in order for our household to run smoothly.  It not only helps them to learn and grow into responsible adults, but it helps me too!

Being single, I have met grown men who send their laundry out, who have their mommies clean their houses, who can’t even boil water for pasta, and even men who are extremely book smart, but have no social skills!  Meanwhile, my 2 middle kids are fighting over who gets to have the “magic wand” (aka clorox toilet wand) to clean the toilets! And to their future spouses I say, “YOUR WELCOME”!