Mom Proves Children’s Creativity Can’t Be Outdone After Teaching 12-Month-Old Cooking Skills

Deanna Knight is a content creator and mother who wanted to introduce her son Russ to the joys of cooking when she welcomed him into the world. She even introduced him to meal prep basics when he was just 12 months old.

Speaking with People, Deanna shared, “We began with really simple things like washing fruits and vegetables, transferring ingredients, stirring and helping with snacks. As he’s gotten older, we’ve slowly given him more responsibility.”

Deanna felt it was important to have her little chef in the kitchen with her several times a week. She especially likes to have him help when they’re making his snacks. For his part, Deanna says that he loves being involved. She shared, “He gets so excited when he gets to help and is always eager to participate. I’ve also noticed how proud he is when he gets to try what he makes!”

The Tennessee mother feels that “including children in cooking gives them an opportunity to learn real-life skills while also building confidence and independence.”

Ultimately, Deanna feels that children deserve more credit than people give them. She added, “They’re capable of so much more than we sometimes give them credit for. Cooking also naturally teaches practical life skills, fine motor skills, language, math, concentration and following a sequence of steps. But beyond the skills, I love that it gives us meaningful time together and allows him to contribute to our family.”

Deanna also shared that she lets Russ “take the lead” with “small, manageable jobs,” and notes that “children are naturally curious, so once you give them an opportunity, they often want to participate.”

Ultimately, though, she admits that it can be hard stepping back a bit. She mused, “It can be tempting to just do something yourself because it’s faster, but I’ve learned that the extra time is worth it.”

Deanna has since been sharing her son’s cooking skills on social media. The proud parent shares videos on her TikTok and Instagram. She hopes that her example will inspire other parents to let their kids get involved in the kitchen.

Deanna shared, “There are age-appropriate ways to involve children from very young ages. When we give them real opportunities to contribute, they learn that they are capable and that their contributions matter.” She also makes clear that she doesn’t let her son handle knives or other dangerous kitchen gadgets, though he might have child-safe versions of these tools.

The proud mother felt, “You don’t need a complicated recipe or a perfect Montessori kitchen. Give them one simple job and gradually build from there. And expect a little mess! The goal isn’t perfection — it’s giving them the opportunity to practice.”

“Cooking with my children has become such a normal and meaningful part of our everyday life, and I wanted to show other parents what it can actually look like with a young child. I think sometimes social media makes Montessori activities seem complicated or picture-perfect, when really it can be as simple as letting your toddler help make their own snack.”