Cooking with your Kids and Money Management

One of the best ways to teach kids to eat healthy is by using good cookbooks for kids that have great recipes. You can teach your children how to prepare meals and snacks that are healthy and wholesome, not only for your family, but for theirs as well.

But, did you ever stop and think that cooking with your kids is a great way to help teach them money management skills?

When you are going through the cookbook with your kids, take a moment to look at some of the ingredients that the recipes call for. Sometimes children's cookbooks can be a little simplified with ingredients, and that's alright.

When you are preparing to cook with your kids, chances are you will need to pick up a few extra items at the grocery store for your meal. So, here are a couple of thoughts to try and help them understand what choices they have when making purchases in the grocery store.

First, try to establish a budget for your meal or grocery trip. If your kids see that you have a certain amount of money to spend at the grocery, they will understand that food purchases aren't limitless. Consideration must be given to each item, and it needs to be established as a "need" or a "want".

Secondly, show them how the different sizes of items compare in price. Sometimes you can buy a larger can or box of a particular item and it will be cheaper per ounce or quantity. But, if you aren't going to use it all before it expires, then you could waste a lot of it. Great lesson here on "waste not, want not".

Lastly, let your kids pay the cashier. Help them to count out the money so that they can see what it takes to prepare a meal. This will let them see that more goes into each meal than just a few moments in the kitchen.

These are just a few ideas on how to share money management skills with your kids while cooking with them. Cookbooks for kids can be so much more than just recipes!