Get Back To The Table
Are you cooking with Dexter? (or Kate or Josh?)
Sep 08, 2010
If you read the New York Times, chances are that you have come across “Cooking with Dexter”, a wonderful little column about a man who frequently cooks with his son Dexter. Dexter is five years old, and the father and son embark on many funny and touching culinary adventures that ultimately bring them closer together.
So here’s the big question – are you cooking with your kids and, more importantly, should you?
When was the last time you had a conversation with your teen? Yeah, exactly. Cooking encourages you to spend time together and catch up on each other’s day.
You wouldn’t send your kids out in the world without teaching them how to drive, would you? Cooking is a vital life skill. When your children grow up, they will thank you for teaching them how to fend for themselves. Now if only you could make them appreciate ballet…
You chop, I stir. Cooking encourages teamwork. Break down dinner into manageable tasks, and suddenly everyone is invested in the final result.
So that’s what a calorie is! We’re always talking about eating healthy, but actually making your own meals puts things in perspective. When kids can see exactly what they’re putting into their bodies, they’ll understand nutrition a lot better than if they read about it in a textbook.
Making mistakes and burning the potatoes together is half the fun. The best thing about cooking with your kids is that neither of you has to be a culinary genius to do it. And now, nobody can complain that they don’t like what’s for dinner.
Hannah Keeley, Libby’s spokesperson and star of Hannah, Help Me! cooks regularly with her kids.