“As he’s gotten older, we’ve slowly given him more responsibility,” Deanna Knight tells PEOPLE
Credit: Deanna Knight
NEED TO KNOW
- Deanna Knight encourages parents to involve young children in cooking to build confidence, independence, and life skills
- She started including her son in kitchen tasks at 12 months old, gradually increasing his responsibilities over time
- Knight shares her journey on TikTok to inspire parents to start small and embrace the mess for meaningful moments
Even as adults, most people could use a little help in the kitchen.
So when Deanna Knight welcomed her son, Russ, she knew she wanted to get him involved in the cooking process from early on. In fact, Knight tells PEOPLE she introduced Russ to meal prep basics when he was just 12 months old.
“We began with really simple things like washing fruits and vegetables, transferring ingredients, stirring and helping with snacks,” she says. “As he’s gotten older, we’ve slowly given him more responsibility.”
She tries to include him in kitchen tasks several times a week, especially when they’re making his snacks, and Knight says that he “loves” being involved.
“He gets so excited when he gets to help and is always eager to participate. I’ve also noticed how proud he is when he gets to try what he makes!”
The Tennessee mother insists that “including children in cooking gives them an opportunity to learn real-life skills while also building confidence and independence.”
“They’re capable of so much more than we sometimes give them credit for. Cooking also naturally teaches practical life skills, fine motor skills, language, math, concentration and following a sequence of steps,” the 24-year-old adds. “But beyond the skills, I love that it gives us meaningful time together and allows him to contribute to our family.”
Credit: Deanna Knight
She now lets him “take the lead” with “small, manageable jobs,” and notes that “children are naturally curious, so once you give them an opportunity, they often want to participate.”
However, she admits it’s been hard “slowing down” in the kitchen and “accepting that it’s going to be messier and take longer.”
“It can be tempting to just do something yourself because it’s faster, but I’ve learned that the extra time is worth it,” she shares.
@knightfamilycontent Russ is 19 months old and has officially been cooking for 7 months now 🥹 He has loved every bit of it, and watching his confidence grow in the kitchen has been so special. These pumpkin oat balls have been such a fun little fall recipe to make together 🤎 Pumpkin Oat Balls 🎃 * 1 cup rolled oats * ½ cup pumpkin puree * ¼ cup peanut butter (or almond butter) * 2 tbsp maple syrup * ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice * ½ tsp vanilla * 1–2 tbsp mini chocolate chips (optional) Mix everything together, chill for 15–20 minutes, then roll into little balls. If they’re too sticky, add a little more oats; if too dry, add a splash of pumpkin or milk. Store in the fridge for about 5 days. Perfect little toddler snack! 🧡 #toddlerrecipes #toddleractivities #montessorimom #montessoritoddler #toddlercooking
♬ original sound – Deanna Knight
Knight has been sharing Russ’ progress on her TikTok profile, hoping to show other parents that they “don’t have to wait until your child is ‘old enough’ to start.”
“There are age-appropriate ways to involve children from very young ages,” she emphasizes. “When we give them real opportunities to contribute, they learn that they are capable and that their contributions matter.”
While she doesn’t give Russ knives or other dangerous kitchen gadgets, she notes that he has his own child-safe cutting tools. She reiterated that it’s all about “starting small and meeting your child where they are.”
“You don’t need a complicated recipe or a perfect Montessori kitchen. Give them one simple job and gradually build from there,” Knight says. “And expect a little mess! The goal isn’t perfection — it’s giving them the opportunity to practice.”
Credit: Deanna Knight
“Cooking with my children has become such a normal and meaningful part of our everyday life, and I wanted to show other parents what it can actually look like with a young child,” she adds. “I think sometimes social media makes Montessori activities seem complicated or picture-perfect, when really it can be as simple as letting your toddler help make their own snack.”
By sharing her approach to parenting online, Knight says she has received “really encouraging” feedback from other parents who “want to involve their children more but weren’t sure where to start.”
“I’ve loved seeing parents realize that their children are capable of participating in everyday tasks much earlier than they may have thought,” she says.
While the response online has been great, the best part has been watching her son’s “confidence grow.”
“It’s not really about teaching him how to make a recipe — it’s about giving him opportunities to practice independence, contribute to our family, and learn that he is capable. Those little everyday moments can have such a big impact,” Knight shares.
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