It’s still crazy to think that my 15-year-old son (and his friends) are published authors.
I’m beyond honored to have interviewed them for a Healthy Parenting Connector episode, especially after getting to listen in to their 5 TV appearances and 3 other podcast interviews!! They’re so poised and articulate!
We want to show you today 2 big ideas:
- Why the cookbook Chef Junior is SO special and really fills a need
- To inspire you and your kids to set big goals and really believe that kids can do so much more than we expect!
Can’t see the video? Click to watch “Kids Can Achieve Big Goals” on YouTube.
As much as I feel like a failure as a parent many days, I dust myself off and keep trying — and I think all of us working to be intentional parents and striving for improvement are going to see our hard work pay off, in many different ways, as our kids mature.
I’m as proud of Paul for being a published author as I am his 11-year-old sister Leah for cutting melons and pineapple almost daily to feed her brothers for snacks (and starting a YouTube channel last week). As proud too of my 8-year-old who compassionately rushes to the side of anyone in the family who gets hurt and my 5-year-old who is not afraid to try new foods at dinner and always brings a smile to our faces.
Take a moment to think of each of your kids and their special gifts…and then go grab the best new cookbook for kids AND the special bonuses the kids created to help you use the book more efficiently (meal plans, shopping lists, allergy lists, videos and more!).
Goal Setting for Kids Video Time Stamps
- 0:11: Today my expert interviewees are some kids! I am talking with my son Paul and his friends, Anthony, Katie, and Abigail.
- 0:52: We start off with the fun part! The kids tell me what it was like to see their book on Amazon and realize that they were really published authors! They began working on this idea 4 years ago! 😮
- 3:45: We’ve found that Chef Junior really fills a need. Many kids cooking shows or cookbooks are filled with sweets or processed foods. The recipes in Chef Junior are all made with real, whole-food ingredients. Most of them are gluten-free and many are free of other allergens as well.
- 6:31: In addition to recipes, there’s some cooking instruction in the book. Recipes are labeled with skill levels so that more advanced kids can challenge themselves.
- 7:28: Each of the five authors has a bit of a different cooking style which makes for a wide range of recipes.
BIG Goal Setting for Kids
- 8:31: These kids were 8-11 years old when the idea for Chef Junior was born and they submitted their book proposal!
- 9:04: The kids share some of the behind the scenes of publishing with us. First, we talk about the bumps in the road.
- 11:52: The kids worked hard to make their recipes great. They learned some life lessons that apply outside the kitchen through the process.
“Mooooom, I’m hungry!!”
How many times do your kids ask for snacks each day? Wouldn’t it be a relief if they were empowered to prepare their own snacks, instead of coming to you and whining about how hungry they are?
Download and print:
- 13:33: After getting feedback, they had to make changes to their recipes or clarify their instructions. They talk a bit about what it felt like to get negative feedback.
- 15:00: Originally Chef Junior was supposed to have 80 recipes. Right at the end when everything was turned in, we got an email that threw a wrench in the plans!
- 17:34: We go back to the beginning and the kids explain how they met and got the idea to make a cookbook.
Building Confidence and Creativity in Kids
- 21:10: We talk a lot at Kids Cook Real Food™™ about building confidence in our kids. At the beginning of this process, the parents were the ones who helped put the proposal together. Now the kids are the ones doing the leg work. They’re doing interviews, learning video editing, promoting the book, and putting bonuses together.
- 22:43: Abby talks a bit about getting creative in the kitchen and how to get started developing recipes.
- 24:00: Paul shares a story about a time the kids were in the kitchen cooking breakfast together when they first had the idea for the cookbook.
Resources for Cooking and Goal Setting for Kids
- Buy the book, Chef Junior, here!
- Teach your kids to cook with us!
- Best knives for kids
- Practical advice on goal setting with kids
What You Should Do Next:
1. Subscribe to the Healthy Parenting Handbook Newsletter
I interview experts about kids’ health every week – stay in the loop with a quick Saturday morning email:
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2. Try a Free Preview of My Cooking Class for Kids
Our members’ favorite lesson is always our 10-minute knife skills and safety class, teaching techniques with unique & memorable phrases from butter knives to chef’s knives (ages 2-teen). Take a peek here and try it out with your kids.
3. Enroll in the Online Cooking Course for Kids:
Enroll now in the Wall Street Journal’s #1 recommended online cooking class for kids (also rated 5 stars on Facebook). See what fits your family best HERE.
About Katie Kimball
Katie Kimball, CSME, creator of Kids Cook Real Food™ and CEO of Kitchen Stewardship®, LLC, is passionate about connecting families around healthy food. As a trusted educator and author of 8 real food cookbooks, she’s been featured on media outlets like ABC, NBC and First for Women magazine and contributes periodically on the FOX Network.
Since 2009, busy moms have looked to Katie as a trusted authority and advocate for children’s health, and she often partners with health experts and medical practitioners to stay on the cutting edge. In 2016 she created the Wall Street Journal recommended best online kids cooking course, Kids Cook Real Food™, helping thousands of families around the world learn to cook. She is actively masterminding the Kids’ Meal Revolution, with a goal of every child learning to cook.
A mom of 4 kids from Michigan, she is also a Certified Stress Mastery Educator, member of the American Institute of Stress and trained speaker through Bo Eason’s Personal Story Power.