I am a huge advocate for bringing kids into the kitchen at a young age. My toddler started “helping” me at about 6 months, and he continues to help me prepare almost every single thing I make.
That isn’t to say we haven’t had our share of mishaps. There is the batch of cookie dough I had to throw away, because I didn’t pay attention to the amount of flour he put in there. Or the chicken breasts that went into the trash, because he dumped an entire container of garlic salt on them.
I look at those moments and laugh. Some day WAY down the road when he is dating, these are the stories I fully intend to tell his girlfriend. The stories that will make me laugh for years. These are the stories that I hope will shape him into a man who can cook a meal for his family or keep him off a steady diet of ramen and mac & cheese in college.
Unfortunately, I know a lot of moms and dads who keep their kids away from the mixers and bowls. They don’t want to deal with the mess that toddlers and young children create when they are helping. I understand…really I do. I’ve looked at the aftermath from baking with Samuel, and I wonder how on earth anything short of a new kitchen will make this place look clean again.
However, they need to be in there. So many skills are learned through cooking, baking, measuring, pouring, etc.
So how do I not lose my cool and throw caution to the wind? I have a few basic rules:
1. Never, ever yell unless he is doing something dangerous. Is a bit of flour on the floor really worth losing it over? Probably not. Is a child opening a turned on stove worth a loud “NO!”? Absolutely. I don’t raise my voice unless he is in danger, and I need his immediate attention.
2. Buy a Swiffer. I have a love/hate relationship with these things, but right now I love them! My 21 month old can clean up his own messes {and he loves to push that thing} with a Swiffer. It gives him some responsibility and keeps him busy while I’m cleaning knives or other utensils he can’t touch.
3. Be reasonable. I am a big advocate of making everything from scratch. I think it tastes better, and usually it isn’t difficult. That said I do use some boxed cake mixes when Samuel will be the one doing most of the work. It reduces the amount of things that need to go into the mixing bowl, but it still gives him a sense of accomplishment.
4. Laugh. A lot. Your kitchen will be a mess. Take a picture of it. Laugh when your child drops a bag of chocolate chips. Embrace these moments. Instead of thinking about all of the cleaning up you will be doing in an hour embrace the fun he or she is having. Once you face the reality of the inevitable destruction, it becomes a lot of fun.
What are your tips for having fun and educational moments in the kitchen with young children?
Great advice! I, too, bring my children into the kitchen from infancy on. As infants they would sit in their high chair close up watching mama do her thing. I must say that I learned with my first that I needed to “loosen” up right away. The first handful of times in the kitchen with her were not fun for either of us – which defeated the purpose. Now my firstborn is 11 and she has two little brothers (5 & 3) and every day we make fun memories in the kitchen together. From grinding flour to marinading meats – we have a blast! Bless you 🙂
Excellent tips! I have learned to love having my kids in the kitchen with me. My older two kids can now cook a meal if I need them to. My younger kids have learned the basics and love being in the kitchen to help. Thanks for sharing!
great points! our kitchen is very small and so it is hard to have my girls in it helping me. It takes great patience and sometimes it just isn’t possible because of whatever I’m making. I do need to try and get them involved more though!