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5 Year Old Chef

HillJ Jan 7, 2009 10:53 AM


I have no excuses left.

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  1. b
    bnemes3343 RE: HillJ Jan 7, 2009 11:03 AM

    Cute kid, but I'm not buying it. He clearly didn't use a knife to do any cutting and really didn't seem to have a clue about what he was doing. He's not a 5 yr old chef, but a 5 yr old actor (not that good either) who has a mom writing a script.

    3 Replies
    1. re: bnemes3343
      HillJ RE: bnemes3343 Jan 7, 2009 11:10 AM

      Interesting take bnemes. Many of your remarks have been made (both seriously and jokingly) about chefs and tv cooks appearing on FN. Do you suppose FN hosts memorize a script?

      Time will tell if five years, leads to a cooking lifetime. My children would have struggled with naming every ingredient and pulling together the recipe while on camera.

      I think a Five Year Old Chef will appeal to children and families. I was particularly delighted to see the "chef" was a boy...who in my world...are often teased (with no basis) for liking to bake, learn how to cook.

      1. re: HillJ
        bnemes3343 RE: HillJ Jan 7, 2009 11:38 AM

        Well, if it get's kids interested in food and cooking I don't have any problem with it. And yes, of course the chefs on FN memorize a script and also have the benefit of a great deal of editing (that this kid didn't). It is funny that buys are teased if they have an inclination to spend time in the kitchen and then when they grow up, most (or at least many) of the top chefs are men and the women are swooning all over them (or so I've heard anyway). Not sure what the magical cut-off point is. I did all of the cooking for my roomates in our college apartment and by that point no one was doing any teasing.

        1. re: bnemes3343
          HillJ RE: bnemes3343 Jan 7, 2009 11:42 AM

          I never understood the bias myself and I do recall during college a young man that often cooked for the frat houses to rave reviews. There is hope.

    2. BobB RE: HillJ Jan 8, 2009 06:56 AM

      5 year old? How about 4 year old? Here's the first installment of a new column in the NYTimes Magazine, "Cooking with Dexter": http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/mag...

      14 Replies
      1. re: BobB
        HillJ RE: BobB Jan 8, 2009 08:08 AM

        5 Year Old Chef ...Dexter...Add "Little Gordon" http://www.littlegordon.com/index.php
        to the mix and you have the makings for an FX food show!

        Seriously tho, teaching children from a young age how to cook, bake, disect recipes, approach food from a CHOW perspective, is a great thing!

        1. re: HillJ
          BamiaWruz RE: HillJ Jan 11, 2009 01:15 PM

          Little Gordon was hilarious!!

          1. re: HillJ
            Rick RE: HillJ Jan 15, 2009 03:40 PM

            Ok LIttle Gordon is great, this other 5 year old is awful. Yes, I'm being critical of a 5 year old, obviously someone THINKS this kid is good.

            1. re: Rick
              HillJ RE: Rick Jan 15, 2009 03:43 PM

              Oh Rick, give a kid a break :) !
              Little Gordon is a paid actor
              The 5 Year Old Chef is not an actor...obviously someone thinks there is a market for this. BobB also shared another child 4 years of age...who's Dad got behind his son's interest in cooking....hey, come to think of it, I didn't hear anyone jump on Dad...just a "cheerleader mom"....what's that about!???

              Man, this is a tough crowd, ha!

              1. re: HillJ
                ccbweb RE: HillJ Jan 15, 2009 03:53 PM

                Dad is Pete Wells who is the editor of The New York Times food section. He comes with more cred.

                1. re: ccbweb
                  HillJ RE: ccbweb Jan 15, 2009 04:41 PM

                  ccb, maybe the Five Year Old Che's mom has some cred of her own. That's reason enough for a "pass," sorry.

                  1. re: ccbweb
                    flourgirl RE: ccbweb Jan 16, 2009 10:12 AM

                    Yep, who cares who he is? It's still a parent promoting their kid. So apparently it's OK for DAD to do this, but if MOM does it, she's automatically one of "those" moms. I'm sick of this kind of crap.

                    1. re: flourgirl
                      ccbweb RE: flourgirl Jan 16, 2009 12:28 PM

                      Oh, I wasn't trying to offer a defense, only an explanation.

                      Here's the defense (that has nothing to do with the gender of the parent): in Wells' case he wrote a story about cooking with his son, the both of them together. He didn't film it and didn't set his son up as any sort of "star" except in his own eyes.

                      I don't have a problem with either of these examples, really. I think the video is pretty cute. I can see where others find issues.

                      Here's a link to Wells' article which is a nice read: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/mag...

                      1. re: ccbweb
                        HillJ RE: ccbweb Jan 16, 2009 01:24 PM

                        The article is terrific. I think BobB added the same link above to demonstrate "if you think five is young, try 4 years of age..." more than to defend the story as it may relate to the 5 year old chef. But the "bounce on Mom" that prevailed at one point...seemed to hit a nerve w/me that a Mom might be suspect...but not a Dad...even a Dad we know to be a food writer...all in all I've enjoyed this thread immensely...given my posting regret initially...turned out to be a dynamite discussion.

                        1. re: HillJ
                          ccbweb RE: HillJ Jan 16, 2009 07:23 PM

                          Whoops. Sorry BobB, didn't see the link in your post! Yeah, this ended up being fun. Good work on the post.

                  2. re: HillJ
                    Rick RE: HillJ Jan 15, 2009 04:09 PM

                    I think it's great to see parents getting behind their children's interests but the 5 year old chef video seems more like whoring of a kid than anything else, reminiscent of a child beauty contests.

                    1. re: Rick
                      HillJ RE: Rick Jan 15, 2009 04:43 PM

                      wow! "whoring of a kid" ...well, I'm gonna shake hands and mozy on good people. Who's to say what is truly behind this 5 year old chef in the making...time well tell.

                      Thanks for weighing in all.

              2. re: BobB
                buttertart RE: BobB Jan 14, 2009 11:05 AM

                This column strikes me as a new high in self-indulgence. Fine, the kid is interested in food. But expecting other people to be entranced by his exploits is a bit much in my opinion. Why can't the NYT magazine finally get a decent food columnist?

                1. re: buttertart
                  gloriousfood RE: buttertart May 25, 2009 09:00 AM

                  "Why can't the NYT magazine finally get a decent food columnist?"

                  Why not, indeed?

                  I am still reeling from the Amanda Hesser regime, during which she put out those horrible pieces in the magazine about her and her boyfriend-turned-husband. The first few pieces I read were cute. After that, not so cute, and I skipped the pages.

                  I feel the same about this new column.

              3. c
                chipman RE: HillJ Jan 8, 2009 10:21 AM

                It was painful to watch, not the child, he was cute as all get out, but the fact that the mom video taped and shopped it around, comes off as the ultimate as .stage mother, Little league parent. And that is never good for the child.

                1. ChefJune RE: HillJ Jan 8, 2009 10:27 AM

                  Clearly he is adorable and smart for his age, and he IS doing something that can't be called anything other than cooking. But a CHEF at age 5? Not possible. A cook, sure. to call this baby a chef is an insult to all the real chefs running professional kitchens out there.

                  and whomever asked whether the performers (many of whom are not chefs) of TVFN have scripts for their shows, the answer is yes.

                  23 Replies
                  1. re: ChefJune
                    HillJ RE: ChefJune Jan 8, 2009 11:07 AM

                    It's been interesting to read replies to this post. If this was my five year old I would be close by, off camera, and the law would require it or an adult guardian anyway. But I can't assume the child is harmed by a his mothers encouragement just by hearing her prompt some of his hesitant answers, or that the Chef title is anything more than a catchy "headline" and I was fairly certain when I posed the question that TVFN scripted their shows, as nearly all of television is scripted.

                    But, I do believe that my take away message from the npr piece was more light hearted and upbeat than some of the comments here regarding the young children engaged in a small aspect of food culture. At least mentioned in this thread so far. The only "actor" I see is Little Gordon and a catering company promotes those videos. His acting debut was seen by Gordon Ramsay and held headlines for a few days but I didn't see any detrimental effects from a small, funny marketing campaign.

                    1. re: ChefJune
                      soupkitten RE: ChefJune Jan 8, 2009 11:16 AM

                      agree-- it kind of ticks me off. sure, ratatouille, "anyone can cook," but being a chef is different. let's see the stink that the cheerleader mom puts up when we ask the "5 year old chef" to live up to the title she gave him: let's see him place a produce order, make a work schedule, lift a 50 lb case of potatoes, stand in a 103 degree room for 12 hours at a time, fire someone, handle sharp knives, etc. . .

                      1. re: soupkitten
                        LindaWhit RE: soupkitten Jan 9, 2009 05:38 AM

                        Wow. Maybe cut the kid a little slack? He's just a 5yo who seems to like to be in the kitchen. Maybe he's watching TFN with Mom and he wants to do what the "other chefs" are doing. Kudos to him for wanting to learn!

                        Of course he can't heft a 50 lb. case of potatoes, handle sharp knives....but hell, everyone needs a place to start. But a 5yo hears "Top Chef" or "Iron Chef" on TV and thinks of this word as someone who makes food in the kitchen - so he wants to use it in his own "TV show". Big deal. He's FIVE YEARS OLD. He's not Rachael Ray's age and calling himself a chef. On that, I'd agree with you.

                        As HillJ said, no one is suggesting he's a seasoned "chef". But so what if his mother called him a "chef" for this little video?

                        1. re: soupkitten
                          gastrotect RE: soupkitten Jan 14, 2009 06:58 AM

                          This wins for most insensitive post I've seen today. Seriously, chill the f out. Get off that high horse. It's just a bit of fun. Your honor has not been impugned, I promise you. No one is going around claiming professional chefs are hacks because a 5 year old can do their job. I feel the need to channel my inner Joker and ask, "Why so serious?"

                          1. re: gastrotect
                            soupkitten RE: gastrotect Jan 14, 2009 09:17 AM

                            LOL, kay, so big, mean ol' soupkitten strikes again. . .

                            so there are cooking shows, and clothing design shows, etc. . . do you think that clothing designers might get ticked off if a 5 year old that can't run a sewing machine demonstrates making a dress for her younger sister out of whatever. . . and mom makes a "top designer" knockoff show?

                            or how about a five year old plays with tinkertoys and mom makes a show about the "little structural engineer?"

                            a kid cuts his teddy bear's head open with scissors, he's a "little neurosurgeon?"

                            why not call the kid what he obviously is: a kid who cooks? what's so wrong with that? the media has seriously skewed people's ideas about what chefs actually do-- that's why everyone's a chef these days. it's a problem. perhaps if something similar happened to your profession, you'd understand. imagine your profession's own rachel ray. . . there, wasn't that fun?

                            1. re: soupkitten
                              gastrotect RE: soupkitten Jan 14, 2009 09:37 AM

                              Um no. I don't think there is a problem with any of those. They are kids. And their mothers would simply be expressing some pride in their talent. I am an architect and hear about kids playing with blocks and legos described as architects all the time. Not a big deal. No, the kids have no idea how organize contract language or understand ADA code or draw up a window jamb detail, but so what? Why get bent out of shape about it? No one is questioning your profession because of this kid. It's a way to boost the kid up. Give him something to feel good about. The reason these terms get overused is because the heart of the terms are intact in these kids. He enjoys creating good food (or at least food at his age), hence chef. The lego kids enjoy building and creating, hence architect. While all the other aspects of those careers matter, they are not at the very core. They are skills necessary to be successful with what lies at the core, but they are not the core. So lighten up. Trust me, no one thinks less of real chefs because some mother is proud of her son's cooking. Chefs wouldn't exist if that were the case.

                              As for Rachel Ray happening to my profession. I will go out on a limb and say that the average person knows more about what a chef does than he/she knows about what an architect does. But that's why they are the average person and I am the specialist. Just like that average person is a specialist at something that I probably know little to nothing about. You should keep in mind that part of the intrigue towards a creative field job (designer, chef, architect, artist, director, etc) is that people think we magically create these things. What we create has romance to it as a result. I say appreciate that instead of being bitter about RaRay hocking cheap crap on daytime television.

                              1. re: gastrotect
                                soupkitten RE: gastrotect Jan 14, 2009 10:07 AM

                                right. . . i still think you're not getting it. . . kids play with blocks. . . call them architects, fine, you don't get mad, my kid brother doesn't get mad. . . kids play with blocks, call them "little architects." don't call them "little civil engineers" or "little urban planners!!!!" when i followed my grandfather around with a pint-sized tool belt, he called me "his little carpenter"--- not his "little suspension bridge construction foreman. . ."

                                i'll bet that if general contractors started calling themselves architects, or general practice doctors started calling themselves neurosurgeons, that many people would consider it a problem, especially if the public started to conflate the two terms as interchangeable. chefs are supposed to be genial blue-collar buffoons, though, and are supposed to be too stupid to catch the societal sleights aimed at them.

                                1. re: soupkitten
                                  gastrotect RE: soupkitten Jan 14, 2009 10:50 AM

                                  So in your mind it's ok to say that playing with blocks is akin to being an architect, but cooking is not akin to being a chef? You're right, I don't get it. Because that does not make any sense. Of course you wouldn't call them civil engineers if it's buildings they are creating. But when little kids design bridges they certainly are called "little civil engineers." (Or at the very least, engineers.) As for the contractors calling themselves architects comment: that does happen. Many "Design-Build" firms are nothing more than general contractors drawing square boxes in CAD and calling it architecture. So it does happen and it does bug me, but those are trained, working adults, not 5 year olds (though sometimes I wonder). I think your anger is really over the Rachel Rays in the world being considered chefs, not the 5 year olds. I say leave the kid and his fantasy alone and point to the real problem: adults and their fantasies. Kids do things and imagine they are something greater than what they really are, it's natural and healthy. It is damaging to you as a professional when working adults claim to be more than they are or allow others to say they are more than they are. Rachel Ray: potentially damaging. A mother and her kid: not so much.

                                  1. re: soupkitten
                                    LindaWhit RE: soupkitten Jan 14, 2009 12:32 PM

                                    Wow, is *that* ever blowing things out of proportion. No one here ever said that chefs are supposed to be viewed as genial blue-collar buffoons.

                                    Look - kids play with Tinker Toys, play with a train set, play with an Easy Bake Oven - and they say "Look Mommy & Daddy! I made a building / drove a train / made a cake - I'm an architect / a train engineer / a chef!"

                                    No one thinks they're anything but a kid enjoying themselves in play. It's called using an imagination. Squash that, and you've got little automatons who can't think for themselves.

                                    It's a child...having fun. Nothing more. And they're not taking anything away from you as a chef.

                                    1. re: LindaWhit
                                      soupkitten RE: LindaWhit Jan 15, 2009 07:22 AM

                                      i don't have any problem with the kid--i feel sorry for him-- so let's get this straight, please. i have a problem with the parent. there is no problem when parents try to encourage the interests/talents/gifts of their progeny and let the kids shape their own destinies.

                                      there **is** a problem when parents 1) are trying to cash in on their kids' talents 2) are setting them up for one path-no deviations, no possibility of failure. when i was at conservatory there were an awful lot of kids who'd been told they *would* be at the top of their field by their parents from a very early age. rather than nurturing their childrens' talents, their parents had been, to put it in context, calling them "my little met soloist" since the age of four. there was no pleasure in any of the baby steps, or any second place performance. no love. any other outcome other than top-of-field= fail. problem is there isn't exactly a lot of room at the top, & you can't teach passion. i saw a lot of damage done. folks who finally figured out that they liked teaching rather than performing, they wanted to switch musical genres, or go into ethnomusicology or something. all paths except "met soloist" are failures, remember. this kid's imo getting set up the same way. you see it with young athletes and child beauty queens like jonbenet, and their parents, all the time. i think the parent would be trying to cash in and at the same time decide the child's path in life no matter what, whether his aptitude was athletics or music or whatever. people can think that's great parenting all they want. i saw the suicides and the meltdowns, and lots of people who were terribly gifted but were never able to enjoy life enough to give anything back to the world-- just, a sickening. . . waste, more than anything. i suspect that no matter how far this kid goes and whatever successes, culinary or otherwise, he has, as long as he doesn't turn out to be a celebrity chef, his parents won't be happy, and he's going to have to deal with that pressure and lack of self-determination all his life. sorry to have an opinion on the whole thing, guess i'm totally out of line.

                                      1. re: soupkitten
                                        LindaWhit RE: soupkitten Jan 15, 2009 07:39 AM

                                        I completely agree. But how do we know whether it's the kid's beginning passion or the mother's overwhelming desire to make a cute video of her child for her own gain somehow? We don't. So the use of the term "chef" in this case, unless we know that Mommy Dearest is forcing the title and the act of cooking on the child, is an innocent one and most certainly not meant to denigrate your profession.

                                        And on the helicopter parenting, I will absolutely agree with you as well. But yet again, we don't know for sure where this is coming from - the mother or the kid. Some have said in this thread that they're getting the idea that it's the mother pushing it on the kid. I've only watched the one video, so I don't know. We *all* don't really know without first-hand knowledge from the parent. If the Mom is pushing the child for her own gains, then shame.

                                        I guess I just viewed the video as a kid enjoying cooking in the kitchen. Nothing more. And your description of how chefs are supposed to be viewed by the general public was, IMO, just wrong. Especially now that good chefs get recognized by the public as someone who is at the top of their craft.

                                        1. re: soupkitten
                                          ccbweb RE: soupkitten Jan 15, 2009 07:47 AM

                                          All of that seems like something about which one could be really reasonably concerned. It just also seems pretty far away from your initial post in this thread in which it seemed only that you were irked that a 5 year old had been referred to as a "chef."

                                          1. re: ccbweb
                                            soupkitten RE: ccbweb Jan 15, 2009 09:12 AM

                                            i thought i was being clear in that first post that i was irked that a "cheerleader mom" was using a term incorrectly, & without thinking about what that term might actually signify. that honest & off the cuff reaction was going to be my only comment on the subject, but folks turned around and accused me of picking on a kid & since that was not my intention i felt i had to come back and clarify. the conflation of the terms "cook" and "chef" is another subject that we've rehashed in other threads, but i would be just as ticked about the parenting if it was sports or music or another competitive field. while parental pressure has always been applied to musical or athletic kids, cooking is a new one. i don't think we saw any parents trotting out their "five year old chefs" to the media in the seventies or the fifties-- this type of thing has happened to the field only relatively recently. i do think that the media is changing the field, and not always in a good way. it's one thing for adults to make their own path to the FN, and another for a parent to try to cash in on a little kid & mold them toward that-- it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

                                            i see young kids cooking in the kitchen, and all learning play, as positive things-- and parental pressure as uncool. encouraging a kid to be a good cook=good parenting, but calling a five year old a chef=pressure. encouraging a kid to be a good musician=good parenting, but calling them "symphony first chair" at the age of five=pressure. the parent may not think she's limiting her kid by picking the goal ahead of time, she's just trying to aim high--but how does she know where his passion will take him? and how does giving a five year old the title of "chef" make other paths in life/failures no longer an option for him?

                                            or, okay-- the kid's *adorable* and the cooking skit has absolutely no societal relevance/significance, what do i know?

                                            1. re: soupkitten
                                              HillJ RE: soupkitten Jan 15, 2009 11:12 AM

                                              sk, both my younger kids took cooking classes offered by a local home chef. Her classes for kids w/parents & for couples are very popular. She's not the only "chef" offering classes. FWIW, I see a number of trained professional chefs offering classes to children as a way to share their skills, make money and provide an experience. It's just one example but I believe relative to what is happening today. As for when I was a child...diff world...my parents didn't pressure me to be a "star" but I was fortunate to take ballet, horse back riding lessons, skating, art classes, etc. in the 50's & 60's. Also did 17 years at various day camps. My grandparents taught me how to cook. My great grandmother owned a bakery in Brooklyn. My Mom taught me how to make quick meals-she worked full time. I was grateful for the exposure and it's served me very well.

                                              My kids have exposure to all of these experience scenarios. I'm no hover-mom but I like the idea of providing my children the opportunity to learn new skills. As a food lover, food is def. a part of the growing experience I wish to pass on and cultivate in all my own children. One of my older kids is a restaurant school director.

                                              To assume this much about this one child, one parent... as you have is difficult for me to relate to but I respect you pov. I have seen & "heard" about parents who take the extreme approach or go too far...but that is true in every aspect of life...if that is the focus...I still don't believe that is the case here with the Five Year Old Chef.....

                                              1. re: soupkitten
                                                ccbweb RE: soupkitten Jan 15, 2009 03:54 PM

                                                I totally didn't get that from your first post. I really thought you were irked with the kid more than the mom. I take back thinking "sheesh" when I read it. This makes way more sense. Sorry about the mis-read on that.

                                                1. re: ccbweb
                                                  soupkitten RE: ccbweb Jan 16, 2009 08:36 AM

                                                  when i saw the clip (and i don't have a sound card on the work computer, so maybe the audio would have changed my opinion, & maybe not)-- i felt mostly annoyed, and only a little bit disgust/nausea, and only a little angry. i came off as *all* angry, tho. i really didn't articulate myself well & your reading makes sense--& i should have thought for a moment before hitting that ol' "post" button & realized that if i didn't say *why* i was annoyed, i was about to come off as a total a-hole. i apologize to you and HillJ & everybody else for butchering my own pov & i really appreciate everyone letting me give it a second go. now that you all don't think i'm a child-eating ogre i feel much better! :)

                                                  wrt HillJ's comment, i was thinking about this again last night and wondering along the lines of what right do i (non parent) have. i realized that the very thing that other posters find very cute and endearing about the vid is exactly what bugs me. it's the age of the kid. i think i would be totally on board with a "ten year old chef" vid, or a "twelve year old chef"-- with appropriate growth in skill level, of course. i don't know why, and i don't know what age would be the one where my hackles would start to drop a bit-- is a "seven-year-old chef" okay, but not a "six-year-old chef?" i don't know for sure-- i couldn't tell you, but an older kid who's putting more of him/herself into it would convince me of the kid's own initiative & self-determination, a little more than what i saw here. i know it doesn't make sense, and this one might be really for sure my own issue. you are correct on that. i think that i don't have much choice but to go with my gut and stay skeeved out by the vid, but i can see how it can be seen as a cute learning milestone type thing too. ironically there is a little girl who frequently comes into the kitchen with her mom, just about the same age, just precious. and she is right now doing the: "i'm going to be a chef just like mommy and sk and dh," and we're all like: "college is *way* more fun than these big pots and knives," and yet at the same time teaching her stuff. and, she is so cute about it, that i gave them my chefwear catalog so they can get her the little chef coat and pants as a present. *doh.* so i'm not immune to cute, and i do the whole schtick, too. incidentally, in my non-parent role, i hope she *doesn't* become a chef (for complicated reasons)-- but i *do* hope the obvious joy she has in pretty produce and good smells and clean shiny stainless tabletops and most of all delicious tastes will lead to a lifelong love of food for her. whether she goes off on a food-related career tangent, or whether she just enjoys real food for herself and family, it will be an excellent outcome, and it will be an outcome she'll be allowed to choose.

                                                  so then, of course: *trading shovel for bulldozer* what's the difference between this and that kid? dunno again. maybe the vid is public and "my" kid has her own private life. maybe because i know the parents of the kid in front of me, and their (good) intentions. anyway welcome to my stream of consciousness, *yawn* and i'm gonna put the tykes in toques to bed now and not think about it so much anymore :)

                                                  1. re: soupkitten
                                                    LindaWhit RE: soupkitten Jan 16, 2009 09:00 AM

                                                    "now that you all don't think i'm a child-eating ogre i feel much better! :) "
                                                    I don't know why you don't stick with the child-eating! They're *ever* so much more tender than us tough, nasty adults. :-)

                                                    I really appreciate that you came back and gave further explanations and realized where our responses were coming from and gave us further insight into your thoughts on this issue so we could clarify *our* thoughts on where you were coming from. (damn - talk about a run-on sentence!)

                                                    I enjoy reading your posts, as you are incredibly well spoken and often put into words what I might have been thinking but couldn't express on a particular topic. And even when I have nothing to contribute to a thread, your posts often give me incredible insight into what the world you work in is like on a daily basis. It always sounds "dreamy and fun" to "be a chef". Reality is, it's probably one of the hardest jobs out there emotionally and physically (obvious!).

                                                    So - pax on this issue and on to the next one! :-)

                                                    1. re: LindaWhit
                                                      HillJ RE: LindaWhit Jan 16, 2009 09:09 AM

                                                      add me to that 'hound fan base soupk. Your posts rock.

                                                      1. re: HillJ
                                                        soupkitten RE: HillJ Jan 16, 2009 12:00 PM

                                                        thanks L.W. & HillJ

                                                        you are both very sweet & i am grateful to you. i've always enjoyed reading your posts as well & think you both have great senses of humor & well grounded, sensible povs, even when our opinions differ sometimes. to HillJ: now *i* can say thanks for posting the vid, as i've learned something about myself, even if it did tick me off. i agree that i need to give this mommy a pass, as in this case there is no irrefutable evidence of "hoverus parentus," and even if there were that evidence, it's just annoying, but not illegal! LOL :)

                                                        peace, -sk

                                            2. re: soupkitten
                                              flourgirl RE: soupkitten Jan 15, 2009 07:48 AM

                                              While I do think you are over-reacting to a degree towards this particular little boy and his mother, at the same time, I have to admit that I agree with many of your points about parents who put such extreme pressures on their kids to fit some pre-conceived notion of what success means in the eyes of the parents. That's a truly terrible thing to do to a child and seems to fly in the face of all that good parenting should be about - as you said, nurturing the individual and his/her particular talents, interests and passions. I'm the mother of an 8 year old boy - and I honestly have no dreams for his future about what he'll grow up to be - other than that he is happy, healthy and successful at whatever path he chooses, whatever success means to him. I have no idea what he's going to do/be when he grows up and neither does he. All my husband and I are doing right now is giving him as much opportunity as we can to explore the world around him, discover what he's interested in and good at and see where it leads. That's a huge part of the fun of raising a child and we are enjoying every minute of it. :)

                                              1. re: soupkitten
                                                HillJ RE: soupkitten Jan 15, 2009 08:23 AM

                                                Has anyone seen a piece where the mother is interviewed at length to share what/if in fact...the motivation? The article below had a few quotes from the mother but I didn't draw any conclusions from it that soupkitten has.

                                                1. re: soupkitten
                                                  Kajikit RE: soupkitten Jan 19, 2009 05:21 PM

                                                  You're sure reading a lot into a ten-minute homemade video clip! If they'd had webcams and digital cameras and the internet when we were growing up, there'd be a lot more of these things in existence... but when I was a kid, filming yourself was Big Deal - now anyone can do it with the press of a button!

                                              2. re: soupkitten
                                                Lizard RE: soupkitten May 24, 2009 11:11 AM

                                                OK, only because this near dead thread has been revived but: A little over the top, there soupkitten. Moreover, Architects are a licensed profession, so there may be more 'issue' in calling the kid a little architect. The point is, there isn't.

                                                Meanwhile, I appreciate your concern: some of us, in our fields, are forever faced with people who don't know what we do and yet assume they can do it, and more significantly, do it better. In this case, I'd ignore it. It's a 5 year old. No one is going to make a mistake in this situation.

                                    2. h
                                      HillJ RE: HillJ Jan 8, 2009 11:19 AM

                                      Oh good grief. If the child doesn't have the chops to be a young chef...how far do you honestly believe this "opportunity" would go. Do you really believe anyone is suggesting that a five year old is a seasoned chef or cook. It's a shame that an individual with experience would and a chef title would dismiss youth interest.

                                      What do we know about the off camera mother to go so far as to call her a "cheerleader mom?" Assumptions.

                                      I'm sorry I posted the npr piece. Mods, if necessary, feel free to remove the entire thread.

                                      2 Replies
                                      1. re: HillJ
                                        ccbweb RE: HillJ Jan 9, 2009 04:58 AM

                                        Wow, when did everyone's sense of humor and ability to appreciate something kind of cute and funny just totally die?

                                        Thanks for posting this HillJ...although the end result for me has been that now I'm just sad for the group here. We wring any fun or pleasure or joy out of everything so that our own individual definitions and views on the world can remain intact.

                                        I did think giving the young guy the chopper in a jar was a pretty good move. Safe and fun!

                                        1. re: ccbweb
                                          HillJ RE: ccbweb Jan 9, 2009 05:23 AM


                                          ccb, have a great morning!

                                      2. hannaone RE: HillJ Jan 11, 2009 02:05 PM

                                        Great link, I loved it.
                                        I'm all for anything that gets kids interested in food and cooking, and if putting on a little skit works, hey go for it.

                                        1 Reply
                                        1. re: hannaone
                                          flourgirl RE: hannaone Jan 12, 2009 05:29 AM

                                          Me too! I always said that the day my son leaves our home to go out on his own, if nothing else, he will absolutely know how to cook (and grocery shop) for himself.

                                        2. Sooeygun RE: HillJ Jan 13, 2009 06:34 AM

                                          There was an article about him in the Toronto Star


                                          1. BamiaWruz RE: HillJ Jan 13, 2009 03:08 PM

                                            It's interesting. I say if a kid wants to cook let him cook, help him and guide him/her.
                                            If I had kids of my own I don't know if I'd encourage them to cook though, I think it should be something that comes from themselves, my mother let us cook/bake occasionally or help her out but she would have rather had us out of the kitchen, so I remember even at 12 pleading with her to let me cook and she was fine with that, she just didn't want to push.
                                            On the other hand relatives who their mothers say they loved cooking at a very very young age and all throughout their childhood now can't even stand cooking in their adult lives.. So I figure just because a child is interested doesn't mean he always will be, it's something that comes from within just like everything else.

                                            5 Replies
                                            1. re: BamiaWruz
                                              chipman RE: BamiaWruz Jan 13, 2009 04:08 PM

                                              I just got the impression that the child cared more about making his mother happy then he cared about the cooking. But, I'm in the minority.

                                              1. re: chipman
                                                BamiaWruz RE: chipman Jan 13, 2009 10:38 PM

                                                I watched all three of his videos and I didn't find any of them to be a big deal - he's a child yes but I found him to be a bit messy and disorganized, I think his mother needs to teach him about keeping things tidy.

                                                1. re: BamiaWruz
                                                  chipman RE: BamiaWruz Jan 14, 2009 08:05 AM

                                                  After reading the article from the Toronto Star, I have adjusted my opinion somewhat. I don't think the kid likes to cook at all. He's just following his mothers direction in what she is pushing as a TV show.

                                                  1. re: chipman
                                                    ferret RE: chipman Jan 14, 2009 10:58 AM

                                                    It's like the skateboarding dog, you can train a kid or pet to do "human" or "adult" stuff and it's cute, but it's just a stunt.

                                                2. re: chipman
                                                  chicgail RE: chipman Jan 15, 2009 10:30 AM

                                                  I happen to agree. Kids that age do a wonderful job of mirroring what they know will please us. He is absolutely adorable and precocious and I think it's wonderful for kids to appreciate good food and what it takes to prepare, but he spends a lot of time looking to and talking to mom for approval.

                                              2. h
                                                HillJ RE: HillJ Jan 14, 2009 11:36 AM

                                                Kids acting like adults, adults acting like children....which is easier to watch?
                                                Does anyone remember the reality show where several dozen children were "delivered" to a remote ranch and challenged with running a town, fending for themselves, and got prizes for leadership? Ugh that was a brutal day in tv land.

                                                Listen, I didn't post the OP to ruffle professionals who kick ass in the kitchen. I thought (and still do) the piece had a heart. Kids today (for good for bad) are exposed to opportunities early and technology makes many avenues possible. Do all ideas fly? Of course not.

                                                I don't enjoy placing pet tricks and children on camera doing "amazing" things in the same category (but I'm speaking as a mom, not a pet owner here).

                                                I suspect we'll see more kids approaching cooking/fun with food; entertaining some and pissing off others with the topic of nutrition and childhood obesity on the hot topic burner...but that's what makes life so darn....yummy!

                                                1. h
                                                  HillJ RE: HillJ May 24, 2009 07:46 AM


                                                  Another father & daughter team from Roots & Grubs. Video is worth a listen.

                                                  2 Replies
                                                  1. re: HillJ
                                                    Sam Fujisaka RE: HillJ May 24, 2009 08:43 AM

                                                    Iris seemed like a normal kid, and has really good hands in actually putting the dumplings together. But that accent when they both try to say "pad thai".

                                                    1. re: Sam Fujisaka
                                                      HillJ RE: Sam Fujisaka May 24, 2009 11:09 AM

                                                      Sam Iris has a lifetime to learn correct accents, in the meantime you & the daughter you speak so fondly of here on CH, well, that video could have been you two!
                                                      Thanks for giving the video a look!

                                                  2. linguafood RE: HillJ May 24, 2009 08:33 AM

                                                    Holy crap. Some people here need to take a deep breath & a chill pill. Don't choke on it.

                                                    1. r
                                                      rockycat RE: HillJ May 26, 2009 06:35 AM

                                                      Parents! My daughter has a classmate whose father was in a local band that enjoyed some measure of national success in the '80's. Dad seems to have trouble letting go of the rock star persona and is promoting Older Son as a child song-writing genius. I've heard Dad perform some of Son's songs at school and I've heard Dad sing together with his daughter. I'm sorry, but any 5-year-old singing to himself in the bathtub can come up with songs of the same musical and lyrical complexity as the budding "genius" and, while the daughter is a very nice kid, she can't sing worth a darn.

                                                      Very long story short, Dad is clearly trying to keep some measure of his previous glamour by living through his 2 perfectly nice, normal, minimally talented children. Sound familiar?

                                                      2 Replies
                                                      1. re: rockycat
                                                        HillJ RE: rockycat May 26, 2009 09:16 AM

                                                        Not at all. You might be privy to one story but to make such a blanket statement seems unnecessary and downright nosy to me. Not sure why you would make (a non food) correlation to this post, but I don't paint broad strokes just for the hell of it.

                                                        You're welcome to your own opinion but what is so wrong with exposing children to something fun & nurturing? Geez. Kids have an entire lifetime to learn and grow (just like we adults do).

                                                        1. re: HillJ
                                                          chipman RE: HillJ Jun 13, 2009 05:17 PM

                                                          Grasshopper say "It's time to snatch the pebble from my hand".

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