Being part of the culinary world is both a humbling and challenging experience. Every parent that went through culinary school knows this. However, it is one of the most fulfilling educational courses in the world. Serving others while expressing yourself through self-made dishes is something you will carry on throughout your life.
Making people happy through your dishes is something that only a few people can achieve in their lifetimes. But being part of the culinary world also taught us one thing: the road to success in this field is steep and that there are many pitfalls along the way.
As parents who went through culinary school, we don’t want our children to face the same challenges. We want to facilitate their growth in the field the best way we can and give them the best start that we didn’t have back then. Thankfully, we have our own experiences to teach our children and our expertise to make them the best chefs they can be.
Choosing The Right School
Culinary schools range from $12,000 to $18,000 per semester. The most prestigious schools cost at least $30,000. That’s a lot of money, but considering that it’s going to your children’s education, it’s worth it.
However, going to the best culinary school and paying a ridiculous amount of money for it might not be the best way to go when it comes to your children’s culinary experience. The best culinary schools are demanding and can cause your children to fear something they should love.
When choosing the right culinary school for your children, you should consider the same things you consider when choosing the right university for them. Questions like ‘will they fit in,’ or ‘can they handle the curriculum,’ should still be the same questions to answer because culinary schools are much like universities. They will still interact with their mentors and colleagues. They’ll still be a part of extra-curricular activities. The only difference is that they’ll have different skills to master and other subjects to learn.
Additionally, you can just let your children experience culinary life by getting a restaurant job. This can certainly make their lives harder than those who finish culinary school, but they can learn the basics the same way.
Ultimately, culinary school is meant to teach the basics. There are many ways to achieve this without going to a prestigious school. However, the connections your children can get from going to culinary school could easily be their way to success. So choose wisely.
Having The Right Equipment
Our children have access to new culinary equipment that we didn’t have access to years ago. So getting them the proper equipment should give them the chance to practice what they love in the comfort of their home.
If you want to give your children a headstart in the culinary world, they should be able to practice whenever they want. This means you should be investing in having the right equipment at home. This means getting chef knives, high-quality stoves, and good quality refrigerators. If you think this is all too expensive for you, you can always get old equipment and make them new again. For example, you can use parts from an old Viking refrigerator to make your refrigerator function the same way. The same way goes with high-quality stoves as well. Some parts are interchangeable, and with enough tinkering, you can make the best equipment for your child. You can also salvage and restore old chef knives. Some people do this kind of job for less than the price of a new chef’s knife. Think of creative ways to get your children the equipment they need because it can make a difference in how they become professional chefs in the future.
Grant Them Your Wisdom
You have a vast array of knowledge, being a parent that went through culinary school. This kind of experience can’t be taught in any school, and when it comes to what your children are about to go through, your knowledge is worth its weight in gold.
You can teach them various skills you have learned through all the years you’ve spent in the kitchen. You can teach them specific techniques that you’ve invented yourself. You can teach them how you pull yourself back up after a disastrous mistake. All of these teachings are impossible to teach by anyone else but you. The kitchen is hot, it’s messy–the knives are sharp, and everyone is angry. They’re going to go through all of that. But as a parent, you can make their experience a lot more bearable. As a parent, you can be their guiding light in the culinary world, and your children will thank you for it.
You can make a difference in facilitating your children’s culinary career. You’ll be the person they’ll look up to whenever they’re out there, cooking their best. They’ll remember you for what you’ve taught them, and they’ll love you for the right decisions you’ve made.
