by Amanda from Alabama
Allowing children to engage with you while cooking helps them to advance their motor skills, listening skills, and teamwork skills. It also gives you, as a mom, a little help in the kitchen.
As parents, sometimes we may feel scared to let our kids help us because they are so small. There is always something that kids of all ages can do. Also, sometimes they enjoy it. Allowing your kids to engage in shopping, cooking, and cleaning can help them to learn several skills that will help them as they grow. Also, it can help you when you have a little helper around. The quality time that is spent doing this will create memories that you will be able to share over the years. The best way to go about this is to find something for them to do in their age range. You find things like this just by googling.
Once a week, I scroll online to find simple recipes that my toddler would enjoy participating in with me in the kitchen. Usually, I find these recipes on Google by typing in recipes for toddlers to make. I make sure that the recipe is one that he can participate in without any problems. The best thing to do is search for recipes within your child’s age group. One of my child’s favorite parts of doing this is being able to go shopping. He loves to go shopping so that he can show how big a boy he is. I allow him to pick out all the ingredients we need for the recipe and put them in the buggy. He loves to tell me the different types of vegetables and fruits he sees. Along with grabbing one of his favorite fruits which is an apple or a banana.
Once we are home, he loves to help me carry the bags into the house. I allow him to carry the bags that he can carry. Again, this is a big help, less bags I have to carry. When everything is together, he helps me to separate the things we need for the recipe. Then we work together to prepare the recipe. I usually do all the measurements and I allow him to pour the ingredients into the mixture. Once everything is in, he does the mixing. This is also one of his favorite things to do. Sometimes it can get a little messy, depending on if we use the spoon or the electric mixer. Once everything is mixed, we put it in the oven and wait till it is done. After it is done, we take it out and allow it to cool. Then the fun part, time to eat!!!
I enjoy allowing my kids to participate with the shopping and helping in the kitchen. This allows us to spend quality time together. It allows the kids to develop important skills and learn new things. Also, it will help later when you start giving them chores to do. My little helper loves to clean up after we finish. Which is another reason I love my little helper. This makes them feel important and not feel left out. They will be able to advance their cooking skills so that one day they will be able to be the chef of the house!!!
This blog was written by one of our guest bloggers, Amanda.
About Amanda
My name is Amanda. I am currently from Alabama. I love to write and express ways that can help others out. I have a 14-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy. Enjoy spending time with them and finding ways to have fun together.
Want more information on this topic? wichealth.org has a free online lesson series called Milestones Matter. Find all 5 lessons in this series on wichealth.org in the Understanding Developmental Milestones category!
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