Mum praised for making 15-year-old son cook dinner for the family once a week

A mum has been praised for insisting that her son cooks family dinner once a week.

The mum-of-two, who posted on Reddit, said that while her eldest son, 17, has taken an interest in cooking and makes dinner for the family up to three times a week of his own accord, her youngest, James, 15, couldn’t be less interested.

So much so that he asks his older brother to make him a snack every single day, despite being able to make sandwiches and other simple meals on his own, simply because he thinks his brother is better at it.

‘I felt this was a sign I had dropped the ball so I decided that James would take over making the family dinner once a week,’ she wrote. 

‘It didn’t have to be fancy but it had to be at least somewhat balanced and filling.

‘I help him with the meal planning and then I would work at the dining room table nearby in case he needed help.’

Reddit users praised the mum for teaching her child a vital life skill.

‘This is an important life skill not enough people have and knowing how to do these things will allow him to put together cheap, healthy meals when he’s living on his own instead of wasting his little money on DoorDash,’ wrote one user.

Another said they wished more parents would teach their children how to cook.

‘One day he’ll thank you,’ wrote another.

Despite being an important skill, cooking with your kids can be draining, messy and stressful, to say the least. Thankfully, Mandy Mazliah, a vegetarian mum-of-three whose kids don’t eat vegetables, previously shared with us some top tips for cooking with your kids.

1. Pick your recipe carefully. Start simple and make something that YOU are confident in making.

2. Saying that though, kids love being involved in meal planning and they’re more likely to want to help if they’ve chosen what to make.

3. Pick the right time – make sure no-one’s too hungry or tired – including yourself! I like to make myself a coffee BEFORE we start.

4. It doesn’t have to be a major event – you could just ask your child to stir some ingredients together or peel a few potatoes before a meal.

5. Teach them about food hygiene too. Hand washing is essential before starting. It’s also important to wash hands in between touching raw foods and cooked foods – especially if meat is involved.

6. Most importantly, relax. It’ll take ages, there will be eggshells in the cake batter, potato peelings on the floor and every utensil in the house will be dirty.

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