In some phases of our children’s development, there are more significant milestones than others. This one is one of those bigger ones. I want you to step back, take a deep breath, and remember all you have accomplished. Your child went from getting their own water to making their own sandwich, and yours too. Then they progressed to grading and slicing produce, and just recently, they have been making the side dishes to go along with dinner. That’s a lot! 

It’s time to put everything they have been learning about cooking and put it together for a meal. One of the things we did with our kids when they were preteens and teenagers was to give them a budget and have them plan a meal for dinner. The rules were to have a protein, at least one vegetable, and some carbohydrates. Then they could plan on a dessert. They would search our cookbooks and the internet for recipes. I would have an opportunity to coach them if they ran into any issues. On shopping day, I would take them to the grocery store with cash in their hand, and they would shop for all of the ingredients to make that meal. Then on the day we plan for them to cook, they would make the meal from start to finish. 

We tried some new things. This was an excellent way for them to learn how to plan a menu and stick to a budget. You may not have 4 to 5 kids that age at home. You could increase the number of days they cook each week as they get the hang of it. Realize that children this age are beginning to get very busy with school and extracurricular activities. You want this to be a good experience for them and you.