Cook/food education age?

[J_]

Last week I joined some days with a befriended family in their rented holiday home near the beach. That family consists of mom and dad, a daughter of fourteen and a son of eleven years old.

When I was there I took over the preparation of some cooked meals.
I asked the daughter for help with the preparation. And then I found myself puzzled: she could not peel an onion or garlic. Or even peel an apple. And did not now that she had to use a cutting board instead of cutting direct on the kitchensink. And did not know the ingriedients for a cooked meal.
This young lady, doing well at school, can ride a horse (has four years lessons already) on very big one I saw her galopping along the beach/water line. She plays the piano (has eight years study).

But when she goes camping or in other circumstances where she has to act on her own she can feed a horse, but not -in a proper way- herself! But when I was fourteen I could not cook either.

So I ask the forum: what is normaly the age when you learn your children how to cook? And about: What is proper food?
Are we forgetting to learn children the basics of life?

[Chad]

When I was there I took over the preparation of some cooked meals.
I asked the daughter for help with the preparation. And then I found myself puzzled: she could not peel an onion or garlic. Or even peel an apple. And did not now that she had to use a cutting board instead of cutting direct on the kitchensink. And did not know the ingriedients for a cooked meal.

I was never directly taught any of this. I'm not sure why you would need to be taught any of this other than what ingredients to use. Maybe she has never seen anyone do this stuff? Or, maybe she is one of those people who has to be directly shown how to do everything?

[Ego]

My parents were really good about allowing us to cook. If we didn't want the meal being served we were encouraged to make our own. Dinner was a fun chaos. Also, we had home-ec in school where we would learn some of the basic things you described. My little brother was making his own fried eggs when he was five. If everyone was still asleep he would pull a chair over to the stove to reach. My parents would be jailed for that today. I got a job making pizzas at our local Italian restaurant as soon as I could get a work permit (14 1/2) and would follow the chef around learning everything I could. Cooking healthy food for myself is probably the life-skill that will save me the most money over my lifetime when taking into account the health benefits.

[KevinW]

My mom had my brother and I help with food preparation as far back as I can remember. I think around when we became teenagers (13) we were expected to cook one dinner entree per week. In hindsight that was a good rule.

[jennypenny]

I agree with what others have said. Most adults I know can't cook, so it's no surprise that their kids can't cook. I've always made my kids help cook. (of course, I also make them do laundry which my friends think is harsh) My kids will make at least one dinner a week around here. During the summer they have more time and do about half of the cooking. It's fun. How else are they going to learn? I also think cooking is a creative outlet for them like other "arts."

I had to laugh at Ego's comment about kids using the stove. It's so true. People are so afraid to let their kids do anything nowadays. I prefer to give my kids priviledges until they prove that they can't handle them, not the other way around. LOL...I'm sure child services would call in a swat team if they saw the way we operate around here.

[mikeBOS]

I would get up before anyone else and make myself huge breakfasts before school everyday starting around age 9. Alternating between eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, waffles, pancakes, french toast, sliced fruit and cereals and always washed down with two giant glasses of chocolate milk. Then around 16 years old I decided I valued an extra half hour of sleep over my big breakfasts.

[Chad]

I had to laugh at Ego's comment about kids using the stove. It's so true. People are so afraid to let their kids to anything nowadays. I prefer to give my kids priviledges until they prove that they can't handle them, not the other way around. LOL...I'm sure child services would call in a swat team if they saw the way we operate around here.

Agreed. Too much of a protective cocoon. This could be a whole thread by itself.

[TheWanderingScholar]

Considering I knew how to make cheese sandwiches around five or six, I think I can do pretty good. Now I just need to expand my repertoire to more exotic foods beyond breakfast and lunch.