Why Using Your Voice Matters: Teaching Kids to Speak Up Through Cooking

When do we teach kids that their voice matters? Not just in big moments, but in everyday decisions about what they eat and how they show up?

After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've learned that the kitchen is where kids practice finding their voice. 

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Using your voice isn't about being loud - it's about standing up for what matters, and the kitchen is where kids can practice this skill safely.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the power of our voices. Not just the everyday chatter, but the kind of voice that speaks up, challenges the status quo, and makes a real difference.

Recently, I was shocked to hear a meditation teacher suggesting that those with cancer harbored anger and that anger festered into cancer. It was heartbreaking and just plain wrong. At that moment, I knew I had to do what I do best - use my voice. To speak out against harmful ideas, to share what I know to be true from years in the wellness world.

For weeks, I kept hearing the message "use your voice" - in subtle whispers, in unexpected conversations, and even in the meditations led by other teachers. It was as if the universe itself was nudging me to speak up.

That's why I scheduled special meditations on Insight Timer for those facing chronic illness and cancer. As you know from reading previous newsletters, or if you're new to me - judgment doesn't help anyone. These meditations offer a safe space for healing, free from judgment and negativity, because that's how we truly connect and support each other.

And it's why my kids' cooking classes are about more than just recipes. We talk about dreams, goals... and finding their voice to make those things happen. We also explore how to use our voices to build each other up, not tear each other down. Through open conversations and shared experiences in the kitchen, they learn the power of acceptance and compassion. They discover that kindness and understanding are the key ingredients to a more connected and fulfilling life. Because whether it's standing up for others or ourselves, using our voice constructively changes lives.

I encourage you to find your voice too. Speak out against injustice, support those in need, and share your unique perspective with the world. It might feel scary at first, but trust me, it's worth it.

Your voice matters.

I am glad you are here.

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