We're all for parenting advice that extols the virtues of less work. Which is why we love the idea of handing off meal prep to the kids.
"One way to help a child feel needed, important and valued in the family is to put him or her in charge of one family meal per week," says Jim Fay, founder of the Love and Logic Institute. "This means planning, cooking, serving and cleaning up. Most kids are capable of doing this by the time they are 8 years old."
Really? Yep, says Amanda Grant, whose book Cook School (Ryland Peters & Small, $23.95) includes tips and recipes for kids age 3 to 11 that go way beyond grilled cheese. (Breaded lemon zest salmon sandwiches, fish curry with rice and crunchy paprika chicken, to name a few.)
"Preparing an evening meal is such a brilliant and important life skill," Grant says. "It is a great idea to encourage children to cook a meal for the whole family from as young an age as possible."
She offers some pointers: Hammer home hygiene. "Make sure that children develop a habit of washing their hands, chopping boards and kitchen utensils straight after handling raw meat," Grant says.
Cut with the "claw." When a recipe calls for chopping, teach kids to make their fingers into a "claw" with their thumb tucked inside their fingers. The claw holds the food and the child holds a small paring knife in the other hand to cut the food.
Master a white sauce. "A great skill to have," Grant writes in Cook School. "Once you know how to make a white sauce, you can then make a pasta meal for your family." Flour, butter and milk are all you need to begin, and you can experiment with herbs and spices depending on the dish.
Involve little ones. Younger siblings can get in on the fun and develop kitchen habits early. "They love to count spoons of ingredients into a bowl and mix them together," Grant says. "Also, most children like a bowl of water to play with, so you can just take it a step farther and encourage them to wash the vegetables while they play."