Which is your favourite room? Many people would think that the home theatre, living room or bedroom is their favourite room in the house, but in actual fact the kitchen should get a spot up there on the favourite list. When you think of it, without a kitchen, a home is really not a home at all. This is because we need food and if we have to go out and get it all the time we won’t be home very often.
The kitchen provides food for the family, but it does even more than that. Food sustains us, but it also brings the family unit together for something that is essential but also pleasurable. Most people like eating especially when they are hungry, but when food is cooking in the kitchen the tantalising aromas draw the whole family together in anticipation.
With the help of expert cabinet makers, the fully functioning kitchen that is designed well, the kitchen springs nourishing food to keep the family healthy, birthday cakes that may be unhealthy but are still an integral part of family life and our culture, food and drinks for snacks and so on. All these things are an essential part of life and our lifestyle, and encourage families to get together for social interaction. When Mum – or Dad – is in the kitchen cooking, the rest of the family know where to find them and often join them to talk about matters that trouble them, or get help with homework and talk about their day in general.
They have their physical needs tended to and their emotional needs as well. The kitchen provides a warm gathering place for the family unit where there is little other distraction such as the TV to take their mind off what they need at the moment. Kitchens were once large enough for the family dining table. Today, due to space restrictions they may be much smaller, but with open floor plans the kitchen can still be part of the rest of the house.
This allows Mum to watch over and supervise the children while she cooks dinner and children can get easy access to Mum when they need it. While in the kitchen, Mum usually dispenses good advice, rules and regulations as well as food. Even in small apartments the kitchen is all part of the dining and living areas. People lucky enough to have a really big kitchen know that it is the best room in the house for them and their families as they all gather there together. It is essentially a happy place because food and eating in a sociable family environment makes us happy.
So even though other rooms have their uses and are important, they are not usually where the whole family can gather and interact together. Taking time out of your busy schedule to sit in the kitchen with the family and talk to them is one of the best ways to make your children feel loved and wanted. They can then go out and face all that their day – and their peers – throw at them without caving under the pressure. And when they get back home they’ll head straight for the kitchen for a snack and to debrief.
