Cooking with the kids is something I have always done. I am aware it is messy, time consuming and sometimes a long winded way of making dinner. But I promise it is worth it.

The reality is, I started cooking with Emi, now 10, as a toddler to pass the time. To find an almost free activity to do under the relentless strain of single parent life at the time. What surprised me was how much she loved it! So we did it a lot. Nothing fancy. A few pitta pizzas here. Some fairy cakes there. Children under 5 seem to love getting involved. Encourage it! It can be a wonderful bonding exercise. 

She lost a bit of interest from the age of 6 when her baby brother came along. They do lose interest and that is a normal part of growing up! I kept dangling the option to help though, by getting her to chop a few easy mushrooms or asking her to make a smoothie. She doesn't always want to help these days but she will give it a good go when she is in the mood and that is all I ask. She makes a mean chicken curry now, by herself, with suitable supervision. 

Even if they only help once a week, they will in time pick up skills and useful habits that will carry them through to adulthood.