📚 Kitchen Confidence: How to Teach Kids to Cook Without Losing Your Sanity

Hey, friend! I see you there, standing in your flour-dusted kitchen, eye twitching ever-so-slightly as your five-year-old enthusiastically “measures” flour with the precision of a confetti cannon. First of all—deep breath. Second of all—you’re doing amazing, sweetie.

Here at ChickensCookiesClosings, we believe in real estate, real food, and really embracing the chaos. And if you’re ready to teach your kids how to cook without losing your marbles (or your measuring spoons), this one’s for you.

👩‍🍳 Why Even Bother?

Let’s be honest: teaching kids to cook can be the fastest way to turn a clean kitchen into a disaster zone. But hear me out—there’s magic in the mess. You’re not just teaching them how to crack an egg (hopefully not on the floor), you’re giving them confidence, creativity, and connection.

Also? One day they’ll be able to make you breakfast in bed. I mean, hello.

Step 1: Lower the Bar Like It’s Limbo Night

This is not Top Chef Junior: Homestead Edition. The goal is not gourmet—it’s growth. If dinner turns out edible, that’s a win. If it turns out fun? That’s a memory.

Tip: Start small. Spreading peanut butter on celery? Crushing crackers for meatloaf topping? Stirring anything that doesn’t stain? Chef’s kiss.

Step 2: Give Them Power, Not Pressure

Kids LOVE feeling in control (just ask my son—he’s the CEO of bedtime negotiations). Let them pick the recipe from a small list you pre-approve. Trust me, it avoids the “Let’s make unicorn-shaped lasagna” moment.

Use phrases like:

• “You’re the head chef, I’m your helper.”

• “Can you teach me how to stir like that?”

Boom. Confidence unlocked.

Step 3: Embrace the Chicken-y Chaos

As a chicken mama, I’ve learned to accept a certain level of feathered frenzy in life. Cooking with kids is the same. Someone will get flour in their eyebrows. Someone will lick the spoon mid-recipe (and probably try to share it with the dog).

Laugh through it. These are the memories that stick—mess and all.

Step 4: Clean as You Go (Sorta)

Teach them that the kitchen doesn’t magically reset itself (unless you’re hiding a fairy under the sink—if so, let’s talk). Make tidying part of the fun:

• Play a two-minute clean-up song

• Race to see who can wipe the counter fastest

• Pretend the sponge is a superhero saving the kitchen from “Crumbzilla”

Step 5: Celebrate the Little Wins

First pancake shaped like an amoeba? Applaud it like it’s a Michelin masterpiece. Dropped the egg near the bowl? Hey, they’re getting closer!

Cooking is more than food. It’s love, laughter, learning, and a little bit of “What even happened here?” all rolled into one.

In Summary (a.k.a. Mama Needs Coffee):

Teaching kids to cook doesn’t have to break your brain. It can actually build your bond—and give you some great stories to laugh about later (possibly over the burnt banana bread you accidentally baked at 475° instead of 375° … hypothetically, of course).

So roll up your sleeves, hand over the whisk, and get ready for a kitchen full of joy (and probably some sticky fingerprints). You’ve got this, chef!

With flour on my face and love in my heart,
– Samantha @ ChickensCookiesClosings

P.S. Want a free printable “First Recipes for Little Cooks” guide to get started? Comment below or flap your wings—just kidding, drop me a message and I’ll send it your way!