In the Kitchen
For homemakers, gaining the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to have success in the kitchen can contribute to success in the other areas of family life. For example:
Improved Finances—
The wise use of the food budget can have a positive impact on the larger, family budget. As homemakers learn the strategies and techniques that enable them to buy better food for less money, they are often able to free up financial resources to use to pay down family debt which, in turn, can improve such things as credit ratings and FICO scores. Success with the food budget can contribute to a similar success with the larger family budget and create a better financial position for the family overall.
Better Use of Time—
Learning how to get food on the table quickly can help homemakers realize that other household tasks can be done with the same speed and efficiency. Kitchen tasks often have deadlines that create a sense of urgency that other household chores do not (e.g. the need to get meals on the table at a certain time). When other household chores, however, are done as quickly as the most urgent kitchen chores, homemakers have more time available to pursue additional goals that can make a positive impact on personal and family well-being.
Greater Health—
Another critical job of the homemaker is to see to the physical well-being of each individual within the home. This requires a focus on good nutrition, good hygiene and keeping the home environment clean. The kitchen, more than any room in the home, must be sanitary. The more homemakers understand and implement basic rules of food safety and good nutrition, the better chance family members will have to experience a decent degree of physical health and a greater ability to function well at work, school or life in general.
Stronger Relationships—
The kitchen is a place where family members can interact with each other often as they perform such tasks as haul in groceries and put them away, prepare meals and make messes, share news of the day, try new recipes, teach children new skills, entertain guests, clean up messes and visit, visit, visit. Perhaps these mutual acts of sharing, learning, doing and visiting is why the kitchen is so often referred to as the “heart” of the home. Kitchen activities may be varied in their scope and scale, but almost all of them can, in some way, help strengthen and solidify the good relationships that are an essential part of the family’s social life.
