The combination of messy weather and pre-labor symptoms definitely calls for some farfalloni! Like not actual silly pasta, but maybe something close. Bazillions of fun topics are floating around in my head, but the one that has been attracting my attention the most here lately is Kids in the Kitchen. In honor of Preuett household messiness and my general anxiety levels, I thought this would be an appropriate first blog post on parenting young children, so here we go!
Part 1: Why Let Your Kids Destroy Your Kitchen?
I’ve observed three realities relating to little kids in the kitchen. The first is that toddlers love “cooking,” the second is that by the end of “cooking” time with toddlers, mom is often super annoyingly stressed out, and the third is that the toddlers and the kitchen are almost always covered in mess.
So, why let our kids have fun in the kitchen?
I am a firm believer in inviting our (even very young) children into the kitchen, for multiple reasons. Our kids are watching us- they want to help, they want to explore, they want to learn, they want to be big, and they want to be trusted. From my observation, involving them in meal and snack prep is a powerfully positive experience for even very young tots (if mom can practice breathing deeply and turning a blind eye to mess for a bit!). The excitement of smooshing dough and popping yolks shouldn’t be restricted to adults! The satisfaction of showing their family a prepped dessert or meal that THEY made is an experience that validates and inspires them. Every child is different, but if we as their parents try to stay in tune with their abilities and ambitions, children of every phase can join us in the kitchen! Here are a few suggestions on how to bring them in:
Part 2: Bring it on, babies, toddlers, and smartipants!
Babies in the kitchen??! YES!!! Pull out the highchair, and bring it near while you cook! Give baby a bowl and some particularly noisy cooking utensils.. measuring spoons, a whisk… let them mix some rice cereal and water, cheerios, puffs, or just let them clank around with a little water in a bowl and throw things off their tray. It WILL be messy, but also edible and fun.
Let them look at what you are cooking. Encourage them to watch you pour and mix, invite them to feel and poke dough, and taste test little bits of finished product.
There is nothing like a cooking project to shake the blues and mischief from a bored toddler. Have a small apron handy for when your toddler wants to “help,” a sturdy bowl, and some yoga breathing to help calm your overactive mess radar if you’ve got one of those. Though stressful for some of us, helping our toddlers cook can be some of the sweetest bonding times and confidence builders for them. Be prepared for a little sadness when cooking time is over— my toddlers are usually reluctant to be done with so much fun!
Then come the smartipants! This age group (hmm, about 4 or 5 and up) needs lots of opportunities to learn and experiment, and as they get older, to be trusted.
Here are a few menu items that you can use to introduce your children to kitchen fun and responsibility:
Tortillas (3cups of flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup of warm water, ⅓ cup veggie oil):
First off, let's wash hands! Take every cooking opportunity to establish the basic principle of cleanliness in the kitchen. And by cleanliness I mean clean hands, clean veggies, and no sneezes or boogers in the food. Babies could care less, but they can eat what they cook…
Let your child dump the pre-measured ingredients into a bowl (with help if needed), then let them mix for a bit. After the dough is mixed, sprinkle flour on a low surface (or highchair tray), give your child a golf ball sized chunk of dough, and tell them to mush it out flat. They could also use a small rolling pin or non breakable cup to roll out the dough. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to ever make it to the pan! You may have to cut the fun short if they start eating it uncontrollably. If they manage to produce a piece of dough that resembles a tortilla, cook it, butter it, and let them enjoy the fruit of their labors! Make sure to remind them that it is the tortilla they cooked. Can your baby sit up in a highchair? If so, they can help cook tortillas! Bigger kids can make this recipe on their own.
Box mix cake (I use milk instead of water, butter instead of oil, and generally add vanilla, almond extract, or strawberry jello to enhance the flavor): mix it, pour it, tah-dah! If your child can make a stirring motion, they can help with this. I personally don’t let my two year old ice cakes. I just don’t think it would start or finish well. Licking the icing spatula is definitely part of the experience though. Box mix cake is just a start: I’d you have a cake from scratch recipe you love, even better!
My kids usually get to help make their 2nd birthday cake, which is quite an adventure!
Pancakes (we make pancakes from scratch, which makes it an ideal recipe for an elementary school aged kid, but box mix pancakes would be ideal for a 2-5 year olds!):
Any kid can help mix! Pancakes are a simple, fun way to involve our children in food prep. Littles can dump flour, whisk eggs, and mix all those lumps out. Bigger kids (6 and up) can basically cook pancakes on their own. It’ll get messy on the griddle, but is worth it (I tell myself) and is a great confidence booster!
Salad: Have you ever seen child-safe kitchen knives? Every kitchen should have some! Check out Tovla jr Knives for Kids or Zilling Twinny Kids Chef’s Knife. I’m
sure there are many others out there too.
Even very young children can tear lettuce leaves and sprinkle salad toppings. When making salad with a toddler, things flow the smoothest if Mom or Dad preps the ingredients beforehand and has them in containers ready to be dumped into the salad bowl. If the child (or children) are 3 and up, they can use a child safe knife to cut lettuce, cucumbers, mushrooms, strawberries, or whatever else is being used for the salad. I would avoid carrots and apples until they are very competent with a knife. Salad making is also a great opportunity to teach your children the importance of washing vegetables before cooking or eating them, a basic cooking rule.
Baked Potatoes: I think this is a great menu item for 4 and ups! Littles love to wash things in the kitchen sink, and will spend an excessive amount of time thoroughly scrubbing those potatoes. After washing them, have your child dry the potatoes, then rub them with oil, poke with a fork, and either place in a baking dish or wrap in foil. Teach them the steps, show them how it’s done, observe and give tips, then let them at it! If you pair this with a side salad, multiple kids can be involved in dinner prep at once. The more, the merrier!
Spaghetti: This is definitely one of our favorite first meals from kids that are learning to chop veggies (about 3 and up) to kids that are learning stovetop safety. This mama still does the noodles in our household, because boiling water is a no-no until the kids are big enough and wise enough to handle it safely. I also chop the onions, because they are tricky and mean, and my oldest isn’t quite at that level yet!
BUT, sauce prep is for them all! For the youngest, open up a bell pepper and let them clean out the seeds and “white stuff.” Wash a few mushrooms and have them pop the stems out and use a child safe knife to chop those up. Mushrooms are fantastic to practice knife safety and technique on, because they are stable on the cutting board and are very soft.
Bigger kids can mix the beef or sausage as it browns, add minced garlic, chopped onion, pepper, and mushrooms, and then pour in the sauce. They can also add oregano, Italian seasoning, or whatever spices you use.
French Bread: Nothing like toasted French bread with spaghetti! Even three year olds can use a child safe knife to slice and butter the bread. You’ll need to walk your child through slice sizing, but remind yourself that uneven slices are NOT the end of the world. Some people like thicker slices! I’ve also noticed that littles really like butter, and have the tendency to be overly generous when spreading it on bread. And eating it in the process. Just be prepared.
A few others are Baked Oatmeal, Cookies, Meatloaf, Shrimp Creole, Corn on the Cob, and Rice.
The recipe list could go on and on, but in order to avoid writing a novel, I’ll leave it here.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
Really though, is it worth it?
There will be lots of mess, some frustration, sticky little hands NOT wanting to release spoon handles, flour everywhere, and time invested. But y’all, it is SO worth it! Not only will your kids have lots of fun, they will also learn how to cook, develop a curiosity in the kitchen that will open up lots of fun cooking doors in their futures, develop confidence, learn kitchen safety, feel the strength of their parents’ trust as they gain more freedom in the kitchen, and connect with their mom and/or dad as they spend time together preparing food for the family.
Cooking can also help establish a strong sense of belonging and community in your children. Gatherings with friends, and family get-togethers over the holidays are great opportunities to laugh, learn, and bond with the children in our lives. Try to make time to cook with your kids, even if you are both learning together.
Comments