Parenting My Teen

My daughter, who is 17, very smart and very organized doesn’t like to cook and therefore has not really learned how to cook. Sure, she can make a few simple things and even bakes the best brownies around, but when it comes to cooking every day meals, she kind of freaks out. It’s almost as if she’s afraid of cooking. So, I’m slowly trying to get her to cook some really simple things, like tacos and spaghetti, but it’s not easy.

Since she will be graduating high school this year, it is necessary for her to know how to cook; otherwise she will be eating ham and cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the rest of her life. So, I’ve been thinking about how to get her to help me with the Thanksgiving dinner this year and thought I’d share those thoughts with you.

First of all, she needs to be excited about cooking. I do understand the concept of not enjoying cooking because I too once thought I hated to cook. But the truth is, I didn’t know how either at her age and I thought it was just another big fat chore. But, since becoming a wife and mother, over the years I’ve learned to make some pretty good dishes that are often requested at family functions.

My daughter has been seeing this boy for the past couple of months, so I’m thinking about having her invite him over. She loves to make things for him and even created a work of art for him for his birthday. She’s very creative, so I was thinking of using the “food is a work of art” psychology on her to get her thinking about cooking in that aspect. If that doesn’t work, I’m going to use the “best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” routine. Just kidding. But I might resort to that one if necessary.

I think what will actually happen though, is I will give her one recipe to create herself. She is a list maker and a planner so I know I have to have detailed instructions laid out before her. I think the green bean casserole might be a good recipe for her to start out with; it’s easy, though she doesn’t like green beans. Perhaps I will have to teach her how to make homemade mashed potatoes instead since she loves those and they might interest her more.

Getting your teen involved in the Thanksgiving meal preparation doesn’t have to be hard. Through this thought process, I’ve come to the conclusion that if you meet your teen where they’re at, they’re more likely to respond to your requests and guidance in a positive manner, thus achieving the results you want. Afterall, isn’t that our goal as parents of teens?

Parenting Your Teen Program is a program for helping parents develop a better relationship with their teens; what You Can Do to Easily Turn Things around and Start Developing a More Connected, Down-To-Earth, Win-Win Relationship With Your Teen And Virtually Guarantee Their Future Success.