America needs more teaching kitchens

I read this statement yesterday and it stuck with me. We do need computer labs, we use them every day. We need them for work, we need them for school, as well as for pleasure at home. According to this article from the New York Times (http://nyti.ms/HCVWv3), children begin using computers at age 3 1/2. I look around for kitchen programs that begin at that age and I see virtually none. Both skills will help you in life and in today’s digital world you need both, but let’s talk about the differences for a moment.

A computer will teach you a fair amount of decisive skills lined with inactivity (It doesn’t take much energy to hit a few buttons on a keyboard), exploring, and impersonal connections. In a kitchen, you are standing, moving, hand/eye motor skills connecting with food on a personal level, and also exploring.

We use computers daily, but we need to eat healthy foods to survive more.

I ask again, if teaching kitchens were as common as computer labs would we see the obesity epidemic in a different light?

Could we collectively come together as concerned citizens and say enough is enough, it’s time to get back to our roots the family dinner. Take the pledge and commit your family to one more dinner night this year, where everyone helps in the kitchen no matter the age. Talk about your days, learn from one another, and even go for a walk afterwards to stay active and meet your neighbors. Just add one more day and see where that gets us.

Mawhiney blogs at timeatthetable.areavoices.com

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