How will you support your kid who dream to be a Chef someday?

[ReadmeByAmy]

Have you ever noticed one of your children who had already a passion for cooking?.. always there in the kitchen watching, trying to learn and helping you..If at a young age they are telling you already that they dream to be a chef someday would you allow them to pursue it? As a parent how would you support your child about this thing?

 

[cupcakechef]

I would absolutely allow my child to pursue it. I've always said that my goal as a parent is to see my child happy. As long as they're not committing a crime or anything with their profession then if it's their interest I say go for it!

I do know that the chef industry is a tough one though - I have friends in the business who work super long hours, so that would be tough. But I would encourage them to get as much work experience as they could if that was their passion. If they wanted to start an apprenticeship or something I would be asking around to see if any family or friends knew of restaurants that were hiring, for instance.

 

[Corzhens]

I have a nephew who wanted to be a chef. But when he inquired with the culinary school, the tuition fee is exorbitant. Much more, there would be additional charges for the cooking activities to cover the ingredients and other costs. So what my sister had decides was to enter her son into a flying school that looked cheaper at the outset. Unfortunately, the flying school is more expensive since there is a certain number of flying hours that they would pay. Until now my nephew has not completed the required number of flying hours due to lack of money.

 

[Berties]

Not a chance!
to help them get through university ,they can work in my trade not as a career,my youngest has taken interest and is a natural ,but both my boys are clever enough to see it is hard work,it's not just cooking a few cakes and wearing prestige whites ,it's business skills ,hard work,things that are not taught ,
I support new talent ,but wouldn't recommend the trade to them

 

[L_B]

I think that it is important to encourage our child to pursue their dreams. We should support them in anyway we can. As they get older they may change their mind but if they still want to be a chef then I would by all means do everything I could do it make it happen.

 

[Rosyrain]

I would absolutely support my child if that is what he or she really wanted to do. My son has a big interest in cooking and baking right now as a matter of fact. He loves to watch cooking shows and then he will go into the kitchen and start playing around with my pots and pans. Recently I actually started letting him cut up old vegetable scraps and stuff so he can really feel like a little chef in the kitchen.

 

[Lullabelle]

Not a chance!
to help them get through university ,they can work in my trade not as a career,my youngest has taken interest and is a natural ,but both my boys are clever enough to see it is hard work,it's not just cooking a few cakes and wearing prestige whites ,it's business skills ,hard work,things that are not taught ,
I support new talent ,but wouldn't recommend the trade to them

TV chefs do make things look easy but in reality it is very hard work and stupid hours, if I had a child I would be hesitant to encourage them, yes as a parent you want to encourage and support your child but you also need to be realistic about what is involved.

 

[Morning Glory]

TV chefs do make things look easy but in reality it is very hard work and stupid hours, if I had a child I would be hesitant to encourage them, yes as a parent you want to encourage and support your child but you also need to be realistic about what is involved.

I'm with @Berties on this. Its an incredibly tough profession and only the most dedicated survive. Even then, most end up in menial positions in the kitchen or in uninspiring catering work, which is basically hard craft.
So I'd encourage them to cook and to learn to cook well, because its a great skill to have and will win you friends!. But as a career, they'd have to prove to me they really understood what it meant. It means cleaning and gutting fish, for example! That might put a few kids off. And then there's a whole lot of boring chopping and cleaning. Oh and then there's the food hygiene exams. Not exactly exciting. Work experience in a busy restaurant might be a good test (but not easy to come by, I suspect).

Kids change their mind all the time, in any case. Once they become teenagers, priorities usually change.

 

[Berties]

When there was a shortage of chefs a few years ago research showed that 70 percent of catering college leavers left the trade in the first year of leaving college due to the hours ,you can't learn that in cooking school ,I do train others to succeed in the trade but I personly see my lads in a different career path,and their level of eduction will help them succeed What they wish to do ,they have a passion for food and enjoy cooking ,but that's it ,they do work with me one son works with me every week,

 

[sunny]

I would continue to be creative with meals, and always have them help me out in the kitchen. They might also like to watch cooking videos.

 

[Momma9]

A friend of mine helped her children start a catering business. Originally they made sandwiches and catered church parties to raise money for mission trips, but it is now a full-fledged family business! One of her children was even on Chopped Jr.!

My sister-in-law has a very successful personal chef business. Her adult children and husband all work in the business now! They do catering and make meals for families. There is a large market out there for this type of work.

I also encourage my children to try things they are interested in and to pursue their dreams. My oldest son did a lot of the cooking before he moved out. I have all of my children help in the kitchen from a young age. They enjoy it and should all have at least basic cooking skills mastered by the time they are a teenager.

 

[sidevalve]

As above - would I support them 100% yes BUT I would point out that it is a VERY hard industry to be in. Long hours and hard boring work at first and long hours and repetitive work later. The rewards and satisfaction can be great but it requires determination and skill and lots of very hard work.