Hi there. In this education post, I share my opinion on why kids (and even teens and adults) should learn baking and cooking. If not cooking and baking, then some sort of food prep work.

<center><img src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/11/29/09/00/doughnuts-1868573_960_720.jpg" /></center>
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## Home Cooking Requires Work, Time, Effort
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I think it is important to understand and acknowledge the amount of time, work and effort is needed for preparing meals. Without this understanding one can be spoiled and even entitled. Home cooking for kids shows them early on the amount of work involved in preparing meals. That tasty pasta dish requires time for boiling the pasta, draining the excess water, mixing ingredients and cooking. Fried chicken wings requires a fair bit of time cleaning the chicken wings, sauce preparation, fried batter preparation and using a fryer. 

One major part with cooking and baking is using your hands. Young students are often sitting down at desks and don't move around much (except for gym class). Baking and cooking is done while standing and moving your hands a lot. There is also a fair bit of thinking in terms of planning, organizing and even creativity.

<center><img src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2014/07/09/22/09/bread-388647_960_720.jpg" /></center>
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## Measurement Skills
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There are some math components in cooking. One big math topic in cooking and baking is measurement. Too much sugar makes something too sweet and too little would make it taste plain. Fractions like half, quarter are used often. Mixed numbers are used often too in the form of 1 and a half cups of milk. 

Kids involved in baking and cooking will learn quickly and visually how much one teaspoon is, how much one tablespoon is along with other units of measurement. 

<center><img src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2017/09/04/13/31/flour-2713990_960_720.jpg" /></center>
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## Bonding Time With Parents
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[Reference](https://thekidspoint.com/10-reasons-why-kids-should-learn-to-cook-early-on/)

Young bakers have to be supported by parents (or guardians). Parents can help by having the ingredients ready. Then the kids can try measuring ingredients, pouring and mixing items and placing the goods in the oven. 

Once the baked items are ready, both the parents and kids share time together in eating their prepared baked goods. It takes time to make the cookies, cakes and bread and they get eaten within minutes. 

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<center><img src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2024/07/22/06/24/family-8911905_640.jpg" /></center>
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<center>Thank you for reading.</center>