Families For Life | Cook with Dad

Adrian Lee shared an idea with Dads for Life Toolbox which will get dads into the kitchen and spending time with their kids.

“My idea is about enjoying cooking a meal together. My 2 elder boys cook with me all the time. They help with the less demanding chores like washing the vegetables and rice, adding ingredients to the pot and watching for the time. They learn a lot from what goes into their food, and appreciate the effort it takes to prepare a good meal. They get to wear their little aprons and chef hats and to use their “tools”, like spatulas and butter knives …"

Dads and kids will love this because they get to do something important for the family. Kids will get to dictate how their food tastes and have no excuses about eating because they cooked it themselves. Entering one of the common taboo areas of a household is empowering as well as a wonderful opportunity to learn all sorts of things like how vegetables are grown, the importance of hygiene, patience (from waiting for the right moment for the food to cook) and team work. Dads get to see a different side of their children, especially the growing sense of responsibility and the pride of achieving something together with their Dad.

Dads will also become interested in new recipes and pay more attention to shopping for better ingredients for their next cookout!”

Adapted from an idea submitted by Adrian Lee and first published on 14 January 2013 on the Dads for Life Toolbox.