Kids Belong in the Kitchen
I've said it myself. They are the words that you want to take back as soon as you say them.
"Kids, get out of the kitchen while I'm cooking!"
I'm realistic. There are times where you need a break or don't want to have to set up any extra prep for the kiddos or want to throw just want to throw dinner in the microwave!
For those other times here is the HOW. How do we get kids in the kitchen?! I promise you, if I can do you it, so can you!
Height:
Wherever you decide to set up shop for your Wee Cook make sure they can reach what they need. A chair at the dining room table works well, on the tray of the high chair they sit in, or standing up at the counter if they are tall enough are all easy options and require nothing extra!
Tools:
Make sure the tools they are using match the job they will be performing. Stirring? Big spoon. Chopping veggies? Age appropriate knife. Bowls for separating ingredients. Large cutting boards for plenty of space to work.
Safety:
I'm slightly overboard with kids and safety in the kitchen. First, have a fire extinguisher just in case! Always make sure the task matches the age of the child. Examples are you wouldn't give a sharp knife to a child that doesn't have superior fine motor skills but you could give them a plastic knife and an avocado or banana or something else with a soft consistency to practice on. If you are working at the stove explain to the kids explicitly what the stove does and what they are allowed to do. Again, I would reserve stove cooking for older mature kids. That doesn't mean you can have other kids add ingredients and spices to a cool pot or pan away from the stove. Every step counts and should feel important to completing a dish!
Hygiene:
Every meal prep should start with putting hair back if it's long and washing hands with warm soapy water. Reminding you wee cook that each time they touch something other than food they have to rewash. I notice over time I don't have to tell my kids when to rewash because they have become aware of that rule! Throughout the recipe teach your chefs about cleanliness in the kitchen, about dish towels, about handling meat and checking dates. You will be amazed at the sponges they are and will often start reminding you!
Timing and Patience:
Be easy on yourself and your kids. Often, we do not get through an entire recipe together. When they were really young I would have them watch in a high chair in a safe spot in the kitchen allowing them taste and feel textures and experience all the different foods I was preparing. As they got older their interest ebbed and flowed. I followed their lead and more often than not they want to be helping in the kitchen. I try and think of a job for each child and if they want to do more that is Great! If not, then off they went.
Over time, the babes that gummed strawberries or beans or shredded cheese turned into big kids that have a love for cooking and will often try almost anything I put in front of them. I rotate through a variety of healthy foods with generous amounts of all different fruits and vegetables. My kids still go through phases where they refuse to eat something but it is usually short-lived.