If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Teenagers cooking meals
I have two teenage boys, twins actually, age 14. Over the summer they have
been responsible for cooking dinner for their siblings one a week (each). Unfortunately this experience has turned into a "how little can I do" exercise. I am looking for suggestions about how to get them to be more involved and responsble for some aspects of family life. In terms of cooking, I have considered asking them to run the "menu" by me over the weekend, before they cook. But then it becomes more my responsiblity. Thanks for any suggestions. Dave |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
In article ,
"Dave Bazell" wrote: I have two teenage boys, twins actually, age 14. Over the summer they have been responsible for cooking dinner for their siblings one a week (each). Unfortunately this experience has turned into a "how little can I do" exercise. I am looking for suggestions about how to get them to be more involved and responsble for some aspects of family life. In terms of cooking, I have considered asking them to run the "menu" by me over the weekend, before they cook. But then it becomes more my responsiblity. Thanks for any suggestions. Dave You might try two things: 1 - requirements regarding the health of the meal -- that is, it has to include the proper food groups, and whatever you feel is appropriate regarding balance of fat/proteins/carbs. 2 - a budget; that will keep them from just doing the more expensive (and therefore easiest) stuff. Does this meal include the rest of the family, or just the two of them? I ask, because if it's just the two of them, I might let it go -- the only people affected are the two of them, anyway. However, if the meal is for the entire family, it might be reasonable to set up the schedule (who is cooking each night), plan the menus (all of them) and go over them all together once a week, just before the shopping. More work up front, but it will help them get an idea of what others are thinking when they're planning meals. You might also see if you can get them turned on to the food network. My own kids love watching Alton Brown, and have enjoyed being in the kitchen more since they started watching that stuff. -- Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. I think if you have 14 year old
boys doing any cooking that's a great start. Over time, perhaps they will branch out to more complicated meals. Given that, as a parent of a 14 year old boy, I think you probably will need to be more involved, at least at first, if you want them to do more. Maybe a list of entrees, vegetables, and salads--they have to pick one from each list. Or a few set menus that they can pick from (pasta, salad and garlic bread; chicken, potatoes, and green beans; etc.). You can work together to come up with the lists or menus, but then they choose what they want. Chris |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. I think if you have 14 year old boys doing any cooking that's a great start.
I don't know if this is sexism, or just an assumption that you can't get 14-year-olds to do ANYTHING. When I was 13, my mother was in grad school and I was doing most of the cooking for the household. If they are doing the cooking, but not the shopping, then it's pretty easy specifying what you want them to cook as that's what there will be in the fridge. If they are doing the shopping and cooking, I would follow the advice above in terms of requiring several food groups. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 07:11:38 EDT, "Clay" wrote:
Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. I think if you have 14 year old boys doing any cooking that's a great start. I don't know if this is sexism, or just an assumption that you can't get 14-year-olds to do ANYTHING. When I was 13, my mother was in grad school and I was doing most of the cooking for the household. If they haven't been doing any cooking and meal planning before this, I think it's appropriate to start with fairly low expectations. As a friend just said to me a few minutes ago, "You can't have it both ways. You can either have teenagers who take charge of producing a meal, or you can have some control over what you eat." Do your sons also get the opportunity of feeding grateful parents sometimes, or are they just feeding younger siblings who are probably not tolerant of different foods? If I had to feed younger siblings and also had to babysit them at the same time, I would never attempt to serve them anything I didn't think they'd like, such as most vegetables. If you don't already have household customs of being courteous to the cook and fellow diners when one doesn't care for the food, this would be a good time to model and enforce such customs. A parent eating a meal planned and prepared by kids should completely avoid criticising the food or the cooking methods at the meal especially in front of younger siblings. Acceptable courtesy for a child who doesn't like the food might be to taste everything, to leave it on the plate without comment, and if asked could say something like "I don't care for that" rather than "This is awful" or "Yuck". If they are doing the cooking, but not the shopping, then it's pretty easy specifying what you want them to cook as that's what there will be in the fridge. If they are doing the shopping and cooking, I would follow the advice above in terms of requiring several food groups. If you haven't been doing cooking with them all along, it's probably a good idea to start doing some cooking-together as well as leaving them in charge sometimes. Find out what else they'd like to learn to cook, and help them learn (from a parent, from a friend, from a cooking workshop, whatever). Take them to the grocery store sometimes and talk about different products. Within reason, buy what they put on the shopping list. Louise |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
"Dave Bazell" wrote in message ... I have two teenage boys, twins actually, age 14. Over the summer they have been responsible for cooking dinner for their siblings one a week (each). Unfortunately this experience has turned into a "how little can I do" exercise. I am looking for suggestions about how to get them to be more involved and responsble for some aspects of family life. In terms of cooking, I have considered asking them to run the "menu" by me over the weekend, before they cook. But then it becomes more my responsiblity. I agree with making criteria for the meals (must include all four food groups, etc.) and a budget. I am guessing that you have more than two kids. I would let the other kids and you vote on how good the meal was, and rewarad the cook accordingly. Perhaps a highly-rated meal gets special privledges or results in less chores. Or maybe, when there is a highly-rated meal, the whole family goes to the movies, miniture golf or something. You can also encourage your younger kids to help. To me, it seems that there is no reason why this shouldn't be a family acitvity (certainly eating should be), even if one of the twins is the head chef and the other kids are the assistant chefs. You might also encourage them to cooperate, so that one prepares the salad and vegetables and the other does the rest, and they switch. Jeff Thanks for any suggestions. Dave |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 16:19:57 EDT, "Jeff"
wrote: I would let the other kids and you vote on how good the meal was, and rewarad the cook accordingly. This strikes me as something that would produce a very different atmosphere than the one I prefer to live in. Maybe if all of you thrive on competition and public critique it might motivate you. I don't. I do have to say that I recently benefited from being a guest at two dinner parties hosted by men who were trying to impress and outdo each other, where the food and its presentation were splendid. Perhaps a highly-rated meal gets special privledges or results in less chores. Or maybe, when there is a highly-rated meal, the whole family goes to the movies, miniture golf or something. In my experience, sincere praise and requests for second servings also get the desired response, whether the cook is a teenager, another adult, or me. You can also encourage your younger kids to help. To me, it seems that there is no reason why this shouldn't be a family acitvity (certainly eating should be), even if one of the twins is the head chef and the other kids are the assistant chefs. You might also encourage them to cooperate, so that one prepares the salad and vegetables and the other does the rest, and they switch. I like all those ideas. Louise |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
"Louise" wrote in message ... On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 16:19:57 EDT, "Jeff" wrote: I would let the other kids and you vote on how good the meal was, and rewarad the cook accordingly. This strikes me as something that would produce a very different atmosphere than the one I prefer to live in. Maybe if all of you thrive on competition and public critique it might motivate you. I don't. I do have to say that I recently benefited from being a guest at two dinner parties hosted by men who were trying to impress and outdo each other, where the food and its presentation were splendid. I see what you mean. What I was thinking is that you reward the chef if he cooks a good meal. I wasn't thinking any competition. So both chefs (the twins) might get the same reward one week and no reward the next. More in the spirit of rewarding good behavior and food, rather than competition. Perhaps a highly-rated meal gets special privledges or results in less chores. Or maybe, when there is a highly-rated meal, the whole family goes to the movies, miniture golf or something. In my experience, sincere praise and requests for second servings also get the desired response, whether the cook is a teenager, another adult, or me. I don't disagree. I was just offering an idea for another motivation, especially when the other kids in the family help out or the twins cooperate You can also encourage your younger kids to help. To me, it seems that there is no reason why this shouldn't be a family acitvity (certainly eating should be), even if one of the twins is the head chef and the other kids are the assistant chefs. You might also encourage them to cooperate, so that one prepares the salad and vegetables and the other does the rest, and they switch. I like all those ideas. Thanks. Of course, what works for one family might not work for others. Just like in everything else in life. Jeff Louise |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Teenagers' behaviour 'worsening' | Roman Bystrianyk | Kids Health | 1 | September 20th 04 12:12 PM |
Why are so many teenagers so foul mouthed and disgusting? | [email protected] | General | 8 | April 13th 04 06:59 PM |
OT, but I really need help with meals | Chotii | Pregnancy | 80 | February 3rd 04 11:47 PM |
Day and night meals mixed-up | sher | Breastfeeding | 1 | January 14th 04 03:13 AM |
cooking for a pregnant friend | annalee | Pregnancy | 4 | October 2nd 03 09:43 AM |