Cooking can wait, good recipe for success vital survey finds parents want kids to acquire skills that will further careers instead of cooking skills

Cooking can wait, good recipe for success vital

survey finds parents want kids to acquire skills that will further careers instead of cooking skills

Parents would rather see their children sweating on a playground, playing a sport or acquiring skills to further their careers instead of learning how to cook. A survey of 226 parents in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore conducted by IT firm Hewlett Packard (HP) and private research think tank Ipsos in June found that less than one-third of respondents wanted their children to learn cooking. The majority of parents preferred that their children relax at home by watching TV (93%), learn a new sport (87%) and take up arts and craft (83%) during their free time, the survey found. Only 21 per cent parents in Mumbai wanted their children to learn or develop culinary skills. The trend is similar in all three cities. Overall, just 29 per cent of parents surveyed want their children to learn cooking. “I don’t force my 17-year-old daughter to cook. I want her to focus on her studies and build a career. Cooking has become simple as recipes are available online. She can always learn later. I would rather have her pursue her interests by using her free time constructively,” said Rutuja Sathe, a management professional from Navi Mumbai. “Why is cooking necessary at all?” asked Sangeeta Choudhary, a homemaker from Juhu and mother to two. “My elder son, who is studying in Bristol, UK, knows how to boil eggs and other basic things. Most of his time is spent at the University and he eats on campus there. Learning other skills such as playing football and music has helped him more. These skills help him relax,” she said. Career development and acquiring skills that will broaden horizons interests parents, psychologists said. “Parents are exposed to technology and have adopted an open mind towards cooking. Unlike their parents, who perhaps forced them to cook, they have a wider vision for their children that involves acquiring career development skills,” said psychologist Seema Hingorrany. The survey was conducted to understand how children spent their time during holidays and sought to map expectations of parents vis-à-vis their children. It also aimed at finding out what children preferred to do in their free time and the involvement of parents with their children during various indoor and outdoor activities.