I was with a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy in a kitchen yesterday evening. We couldn’t think of what to make for supper so we resorted to a variation of brecker—breakfast for supper.

Here’s how they participated, with GREAT enthusiasm:

Cleared off the table of paper scraps from a project in process—7 yr old

Set the table (plates, silverware, napkins, glasses)—both

Beat the eggs for scrambled eggs—4 yr old

Peeled carrots (alternating use of the peeler, with instruction for safe use). These actually were eaten raw before we sat down—both

Put serving dishes on the table—both

Salted and peppered the sliced tomatoes—4-year-old

Cleared plates and silverware to the counter after eating—both

Washed dishes and silverware in the sink, standing on a stool from bathroom—7 yr old, with apron

Rinsed dishes on the other side of sink—4 yr old

Got dessert (sorbet) out of freezer. We sat outside on the house step to eat it.

Kids need to learn so much about using the kitchen, and it doesn’t come naturally. Believe it or not, I recently taught a 69-year-old woman (who’d grown up with servants in a foreign country) how to safely wash a knife. She never knew that if you double over and slide the sponge or dishrag down the dull side you won’t get cut.

Don’t you think we should start teaching kids—both boys and girls—kitchen procedures as early as it is safe? I find kids get great satisfaction from having such responsibility and experience, provided it’s supervised by a caring adult.