*** This was originally written as a Guest Blog post for Momstown.ca. ***

My son is only five, so he’s limited in how much help he can be in the kitchen.  But he’s often there beside us, as myself or my husband cook.  He passes ingredients.  He stands on his stool and chops peppers and cucumbers with his plastic knife.  He sprinkles in spices and seasoning.  He stirs, he pours, he grates.  But mostly, he learns.

He learns to be self-sufficient.  He learns what foods are healthy.  He learns to help out.  He learns that cooking is not a woman’s job, but rather, a person’s job.

I could’ve titled this post “Teach your Daughters to Cook” or “Teach your Kids to Cook”, but that wouldn’t have had the same effect, would it?  Despite living in a society with self-professed gender equality, many of us still quantify household chores in terms of “a woman’s work” and “a man’s work”.  Teach your sons to cook.  And to do the laundry.  And to clean.  Teach your daughters to do the yard work.  To take out the garbage.  To fix things.  Maybe I should’ve called it “Teach your Children to be Capable Adults”.  Don’t pigeon-hole them because of their gender.

I saw a Facebook post recently, from a mother asking other mothers if they “allow” their sons to play with pink toys.  I couldn’t believe my eyes (you may remember my views on things such as this from my “Yes, I Paint my Son’s Fingernails” post).  And then I saw someone post this response:

Perfect.  Teach your sons to cook.