The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Eating for Kids - M.s.j., Dana Villamagna [57]
Safety Features
The kitchen can be the most dangerous room in the house if you don’t set up the cooking environment safely, and carefully assist your new chef in what she’s doing if she’s not old enough to cook on her own.
Experts say children under age 10 should not stay home alone, and that’s probably a reasonable cut-off for allowing most children some level of freedom in the kitchen, too. Many kids may be able to microwave a premade vegan meal, make a piece of peanut butter and jelly toast, or even bake a batch of cookies on their own around age 10, but they may not be ready to operate the stovetop or a sharp knife with confidence until further into the teen years.
You know your child best and should be the judge when to extend these kitchen privileges by watching her master them many times with you present first. Go slowly, proceed with caution, check in, and be sure she knows all important safety rules before taking the next step up in the kitchen.
Here are some important cooking safety tips to go over with your child:
◆ Ask a parent’s permission before making anything in the kitchen.
◆ Wash your hands, tie back your long hair, and pull up your sleeves before food preparation.
◆ Get on the correct height level for your workspace and what you’re preparing. Being below counter height increases chances of spills.
◆ Don’t plug in or turn on any kitchen appliance (juicer, blender, stove, toaster, mixer, etc.) without a parent’s permission.
◆ Do not use the garbage disposal. Ever.
◆ Keep dishtowels, paper towels, and anything else that can catch fire away from the stove and other hot surfaces.
◆ Learn how to use a fire extinguisher (when age appropriate to cook alone).
◆ Follow recipe directions as precisely as possible.
◆ If you’re not sure how to do something; if anything spills, breaks, oozes, or boils over; if you get cut, pinched, or burned; or if things just aren’t going according to plan, ask your parent for help!
Parent Trap
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the most common reason for kitchen fires is leaving cooking food unattended. Check out more kitchen fire safety tips and a fun, short, kid’s fire safety quiz at www.usfa.dhs.gov/kids.
For you parents:
◆ Keep the handles on pans on the stove turned in so kids don’t run into them, knock the pan off the stove, and get burned.
◆ Don’t leave sharp knives resting on counters or sticking point up in the sink or dishwasher.
◆ Have an up-to-date fire extinguisher and fire alarm in the kitchen area.
◆ Wipe up spills right away to avoid slips or electrical issues.
◆ Keep household hot water heater between 120°F and 125°F to prevent scalding from the kitchen sink.
◆ Stay in the kitchen any time kids are using knives or appliances, or anytime the stove is on.
◆ Never let your child heat oil in a pan or make anything else that requires use of hot oil. If you’re using hot oil or water on the stovetop, keep small children at least 3 feet away from the area.
These and other household safety rules should be reviewed each time you cook with your child. Consider printing these along with a list of your home’s other kitchen rules to post on your refrigerator for constant reinforcement.
Jobs for Apprentice Chefs
When your child is just barely old enough to help you in the kitchen, the amount of time you spend helping her help you makes cooking time longer and more work. But those early years of training pay off well when she has a few more years of kitchen experience. The following sections outline some age-appropriate jobs you can expect your child to handle.
Ages 3 to 5
The littlest chefs in training can do a lot more in the kitchen than you might think—all with assistance,