From a young age, many children can be taught everyday skills that will help them to become independent and responsible adults, and cooking is no exception. Using the following tips, parents can help children to begin learning kitchen skills early on.

Parents should go into the cooking experience knowing there may be a mess, especially when young children are involved. Toddlers have not yet mastered manual dexterity, so they are bound to spill ingredients and drop items. A plastic tablecloth under the work area and on the floor can help catch whatever falls. Also, when youngsters assist, cooking will likely take more time than usual, so adults should set aside extra preparation and cooking time.

Parents should also teach children proper hygiene to prevent foodborne illnesses. Everyone involved in cooking, including children, should wash their hands before cooking begins and after handling foods, particularly raw meat and poultry. Hair should be tied back, and separate preparation surfaces should be designated for produce and for meats.

Parents should consider age and maturity levels when assigning tasks in the kitchen. Even children as young as 3 can chop soft vegetables or fruits if they are provided a serrated butter knife with a rounded point. This task helps to teach knife skills that kids can develop more thoroughly in the future. Children can mix and add ingredients as well. As kids get older, parents can decide the right time to let them use the stove.

Children can also work with dough, particularly rolling out pie crusts and pasta or making dumplings and filling them with vegetables. Many cookware retailers sell small rolling pins that are easy for kids to handle.

Parents should let children read the recipes and be in charge of portioning out ingredients. Doing so reinforces classroom lessons about temperature, ratios, and fractions.

Around age 8 or 9, children can take on jobs like opening cans, scooping batter, pounding poultry, proofing yeast, skewering kabobs, and slicing bread, according to cooking educator Julie Negrin. Negrin noted that children ages 10 to 12 can start working independently in the kitchen as long as an adult is in the home. Ultimately, children can cook without close supervision.

Children also can be involved in cooking by helping to draft shopping lists and taking trips to the supermarket. Involving them in these tasks shows kids the complete process of making a meal.