PRINT ADS

Summer’s almost here, the kids will be home from school, and who is going to prepare their lunch? In some cases, young children can handle food preparation, but their abilities and experience in the kitchen greatly influence kitchen safety.

Helping in the kitchen is a great beginning for youngsters to learn to cook and about responsibility. Many young men and women, when they grow up, thank their parents and grandparents for teaching them the fun and joy of cooking.

With today’s busy lifestyle, it is a real advantage if everyone in the family can do their share in preparing food, especially if parents or caregivers are employed away from home.

Kitchen safety is the first basic lesson in teaching children how to cook. While cooking can be fun, it’s serious business.

Plan time so inexperienced and beginning chefs get the opportunity to practice cooking with a parent or another adult to master the needed techniques. You will want to continue working together until both you and your child are confident your child can prepare food safely on his or her own.

The rules for kitchen safety need to be discussed up front. Be sure you can trust your children to follow the rules before being left alone to prepare food.

Rule No. 1 — even before washing your hands — is to dress for safety. Long, floppy sleeves can catch fire or get caught in appliances. Change clothes or secure sleeves so they don’t fall down. Long hair should be tied back, too. Open-toed shoes and flip-flops offer little protection if something would be dropped on the foot.

When using the microwave, emphasize proper containers and the danger of microwave burns. Store the proper utensils and microwave-safe dishes near the microwave, along with microwave-safe waxed paper, plastic wrap or lids. Metal pans and plastic containers that can melt in the microwave, as well as aluminum foil, should be stashed elsewhere. Having all of the items that can be used in a specific location will help to eliminate confusion for your children later.

Be sure your children know that when they open the microwave popcorn or other foods that are finished cooking, they need to be cautious of steam burns. Use hot pads when opening hot popcorn bags, and open away from the body. Allow food to cool several minutes before eating. Food can be extremely hot, especially if it’s high in sugar or fat. Never taste hot foods right out of the microwave.

Demonstrate how all the kitchen equipment works. Explain what is sharp, hot, etc. Reinforce the rule that the kitchen is not a place for “rough housing.” Children need to pay close attention to each kitchen task they perform.

Lastly, allowing a child to use the stove is a huge responsibility. There are many dangers present when using a stove. Only when a child is tall enough, mature and responsible should they be able to operate/cook on a stove. Adult supervision is always required.

If you are looking for information to help you prepare your school-age children to take care of themselves, you might want to review a series of fact sheets produced by UW-Extension, “Family Keys: Self-Care Resources for Children and Their Families.” Copies can be viewed online at http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Family-Keys-Self-Care-Resources-for-Children-and-Their-Families-P349C75.aspx .

For more information or to make comments on the information contained in Coulee Consumer, write to La Crosse County UW-Extension, Attention: Coulee Consumer, 400 N. Fourth St., La Crosse, WI 54601, or call 785-9593.