Healthy Parenting Handbook with Katie Kimball Teen Tidbits, Day 3: Why Cooking Helps Teens Let Go of Perfectionism
As a continually recovering perfectionist myself, I share why that drive to do everything just right can actually hold kids back from starting, trying, and growing. We’ve all heard “progress over perfection,” but I wanted to explore what that really looks like in everyday life, especially for teenagers who can freeze up when things don’t feel exact or guaranteed.
The kitchen, in my opinion, is one of the best places to practice letting go of perfection. When I filmed Teens Cook Real Food with eight real teens who were mostly beginners, we captured the messy, real-life moments: broken eggs, small cuts, burned food, and lots of learning along the way. I intentionally pushed them to measure like TV chefs, eyeball seasonings, and move faster than felt comfortable, all to help loosen that grip of perfectionism.
Cooking shows us that food doesn’t need to be flawless to be delicious, and that it’s actually pretty hard to completely mess things up.
When kids can aim for “yummy” instead of “five-star restaurant quality,” they gain confidence, experience, and momentum. If you have a teen whose perfectionist tendencies keep them from trying new things or putting themselves out there, cooking can be a powerful and practical way to help them grow.
Get the parenting video series now at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/teenvids or check out Teens Cook Real Food at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/teenscook
Resources We Mention for Overcoming Perfectionism in the Kitchen
- Teens Cook Real Food course
- Free 3-part video series on parenting teens intentionally
- Teen Tidbit 1 on ownership
- Teen Tidbit 2 on agency
- Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss any episodes this week! Apple, Spotify, other options
- Kitchen Stewardship
- Raising Healthy Families
- follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
- Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
- YouTube shorts channel for HPH
- Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast
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