Cooking is a crucial life skill for all of us. Instilling the confidence and the know-how early on, is a great way to ensure your child is able to take care of themselves as a young adult (and hopefully, you get some tasty meals out of it too!)

There are many ways for your child to learn how to cook, but a great and effective way is by sending them to cooking classes. While they can learn how to cook at home, having an extra space to build those skills can help them have a better understanding of food. It’s also a great social setting and LOTS of fun.

So, here are 3 big reasons why cooking classes should be mandatory for your child (and why you should register fast before our winter programs sell out!).

Building life skills at an early age

Cooking is one of those skills that is required for one’s lifetime. Because of this, it is important to learn even just the basics. The earlier a child learns how to cook, the better it is for them when they enter adulthood. Younger children often absorb new knowledge skills easily so it is crucial to get them started on learning early on.

Additionally, learning life skills such as cooking nurtures a child’s sense of independence as it gives them the knowledge and skills to manage their lives. As parents, it is important to instill this as well early on in their lives so they become more self-reliant. Learning how to cook can also nurture their creativity and thinking skills as they can cook as creatively as they can from the basic knowledge they learn.

Build foundations for a healthy relationship with food

Food is, and will always be, an important way to nourish your body to ensure your body, and your mind, are healthy. The right foods can help you boost your immune system, gain energy, and even regulate moods. However, overindulging - and even not taking in enough - is not healthy which can lead to health complications even at an early age. Being in the kitchen and understanding food is a good way to build a strong foundation for a healthy relationship with food.

Cooking can also help children understand the ingredients and nutrients that go into preparing meals. It also helps them enjoy food in general as they can come up with creative ways to cook their favorite dishes, integrating different ingredients to prepare a full, healthy meal.

A safe space to make mistakes and build confidence

Sending your children to cooking classes is a good way to give them a safe space to learn and make mistakes. Like anything in life, there’s no such thing as absolute perfection. Everyone makes mistakes and it is important to make them, even in the kitchen. It helps children learn from those mistakes and hone their skills further. This then ultimately helps them build confidence not only in cooking but transferable in anything else they’re learning.

Looking to send your kids to build an important life skill like cooking? The Chef Upstairs has got you covered. We offer a variety of classes and camps for children to learn how to cook from the basics. Enroll them now - our fall programs sold out so don’t delay and get ready for winter with us!