Here is your reminder that inspiration can come from the most unexpected of places and from the youngest of people.
Parents Chay and Adam from Dorset, England, agreed long ago that they wanted to raise independent children, and their three-year-old son Carter is no exception.
Since Adam does most of the cooking and Carter showed an interest in trying new foods and what his father was busy doing in the kitchen, the couple agreed this was a great opportunity for Adam to teach Carter some of the ropes.
But Carter's journey quickly went far beyond getting the pots out for his dad, stirring a dish, or learning how to use a toaster. Rather, Carter has impressive fork and knife skills, especially for his young age, as well as an increasing mastery of cutting, chopping, blending, cracking eggs, flipping pancakes and creating more complicated dishes.
Here's one adorable video of Carter making a "massive bowl of fruit salad."
The family's journey with social media started when Carter's extended family expressed an interest in what he was learning—so when Carter made a cheese pizza of his own, with homemade dough, the family encouraged the parents to make more videos.
Chay reflected:
"Carter loves making people smile."
"This was never about Carter becoming famous or us making money. We haven't made a single penny (being in the UK). It was always about him discovering new hobbies with Adam and doing fun things together and expressing himself."
"He'll say in a video, 'Do it perfectly like me and you're all set,' and if he feels like he's teaching someone, he's happy."
Here's one of Carter's most famous videos, making pancakes, where he's particularly encouraging of people trying to make the pancakes for themselves.
Adam agreed with Chay and added:
"When I told him, 'So many people love seeing your cooking videos, and they make people happy.' He told me, 'Oh, we can make one every day to make people happy!'"
"I'll tell him a few things to say and teach him how to cut something, and then I'll step outside the frame, just out of view, and he just chats away. He loves it."
Here's the video that started it all: the pizza tutorial.
Fans of Carter agreed that the three-year-old chef most certainly brightens their days and makes their lives better.
@cookingwithcarter/TikTok
@cookingwithcarter/TikTok
@cookingwithcarter/TikTok
@cookingwithcarter/TikTok
@cookingwithcarter/TikTok
Others confided that Carter has better skills than they and other adults do!
@cookingwithcarter/TikTok
@cookingwithcarter/TikTok
@cookingwithcarter/TikTok
@cookingwithcarter/TikTok
@cookingwithcarter/TikTok
Chay and Adam both said that Carter has enjoyed being "the center of attention" and bringing smiles to so many people's faces. The trio also hope that Carter's videos will encourage more parents to let their children have more independence in the kitchen.
@JamesTate121/X