Comments on: Kids in the Kitchen

By: Shawna C

Shawna C — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 12:57:53 +0000

Oh I just thought of something that is really helpful if you want little ones to start baking or cooking: we have a short Ikea kids’ table and chairs and we set that up in the breakfast nook instead of a full-sized table and chairs when my kids were small. This gives a low surface for working on so they can comfortably reach/measure/mix/mash bananas/etc. It’s precarious to stand them on chairs at the counter, and I’ve seen special platforms for kids to use for that purpose, but we found it much more useful to bring the cooking down to their level, rather than them up to counter level. Since they were the ones who ate in the kitchen area the most anyway, it also made sense to have an eating surface at kid height. Now that they’re bigger we have a regular adult-table-height table we use, which is still lower than countertops which would still be too high for them to comfortably work at.

By: Laura in Little Rock

Laura in Little Rock — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 00:13:05 +0000

I grew up in a very traditional southern family. We cooked a lot, often and in great quantities and talked incessantly and happily. Dinner might be picked from the garden, defrosted from the deep freeze or an all-day affair. Luckily (for my health) I also grew up in a diabetic family, so finding ways to reduce fats, carbs (we called them “starches” back in the dark ages) and sugar was always fiddled with. I know my sister and I were baking cakes, pancakes and waffles at less than 10. My own kids started with helping, then frying an egg and then on to whatever suited their fancy and/or their capabilities. Sometimes their fancy doesn’t match their capabilities – we call that a learning opportunity and generally, a HELL OF A MESS!!!!
As a teacher, I wholly agree that cooking makes basic fractions MUCH easier. It’s clear how different fractions represent the same quantity and they can be reduced or increased. It’s all concrete and obvious when you’re faced with finite measurements and big containers of staple baking ingredients. I’m all for kids in the kitchen. I’m also all for a refill on my wine glass.

By: KrissyC EsMommy

KrissyC EsMommy — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 20:11:06 +0000

My daughter “E” is 12, and has been helping in the kitchen since she could stand and hold a spoon. When she was really little it was mostly little things like getting a potato out of the bin, or grabbing some cheese from the fridge kinda thing. Just my little go-fer so to speak. lol. As she got older she started taking on more responsibility. She started mostly with measuring, then we would talk about how easy it is to cut a recipe in half or double it and work out the fractions together. By the time she was 5, she could easily double or half a recipe on her own…her teachers have always loved how well she adapts to fractions because of it. Cooking can be a great teaching tool! Very early on the egg slicer became her best friend, she used it to slice olives, mushrooms, eggs (duh) and other little things. Around 7 or so she started using a small knife, tho was always beside me when she did it. Now at 12, she can make simple things alone like stuffing or rice and helps me by cutting potato for meals, or peeling veggies for me using a veggie peeler. She’s also always by my side when baking and does most of the measuring and mixing on her own.
Personally, I think its great for kids to be in the kitchen. My siblings and I (there are 4 of us) grew up helping and by our early teens could handle simple meals alone, much to my mom’s delight. I find it helps with math greatly. Fractions are always at work when baking. Plus I think it helps kids to associate with their food better. The “I won’t eat this cus I don’t know whats in it” isn’t at play that way. lol. But I think kids are helpful even really early on, even it its just to fetch a spoon or a potato, or to count the number of taco shells to heat up. It helps them feel involved and it lets them spend some great bonding time with mommy and daddy. I find most of the best conversations I have with my daughter are when we’re working in the kitchen.
Good Luck with your daydreams of spas and marathons. A Downton Abbey marathon sounds great right about now.

By: Lorrie

Lorrie — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 18:30:46 +0000

I don’t think it’s necessary for kids to be in the kitchen. I hardly ever let my kids in the kitchen when they were little. The area was just too small and I thought it was too dangerous. Then once I started working it was just wanting them out of the way so I could hurry up and get dinner done when I got home. Don’t like people underfoot in the kitchen when I’m trying to cook. I worried that it would be a detriment to my kids when they got older but nope not at all. My oldest just moved out on her own and has been doing plenty of cooking and experimenting with cooking. She loves it. She’ll call me for tips. She must be doing just fine cause her roommates seem to enjoy her cooking. So for any of you all out there like me that feel it’s either unsafe to have kids in your kitchen, you don’t have a lot of time or whatever to have your kids in there with you don’t fret. They will manage just fine with they get out on their own!

By: Natalie | Perry's Plate

Natalie | Perry's Plate — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 15:39:12 +0000

Thank you, Erika! I thought that little face looked familiar.

My kids LOVE to help in the kitchen, but now I have three trying to climb up on the counter to help on the same time. (ACK.) Just this morning the two older ones took turns playing with the baby while the other one helped me with breakfast. They love it!

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 03:58:55 +0000

My boys (3 & 6 yrs old) love to help me bake just about anything. Kitchen science experiments are always a hit. And I’ve found that their favorite meals are ones they get to assemble…falafel pitas, stuffed baked potatoes, mini pizzas, etc. I lay out all kinds toppings or stuffings with plenty of different veggie options and they have at it. I discovered that they’re more adventurous in trying different veggies and such because they have more control over it. Win win!

By: Brenda Dunne

Brenda Dunne — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 01:57:50 +0000

Our favorite kid-cooking activity is “Crazy Cake”, and chocolate cake that can be mixed up in the pan and baked. I made it when I was a kid, and my kids loved to make it when they were little. As soon as my granddaughter could read the recipe, I had her make it! Another dish that she likes to make (and my kids did before her too) is pigs in a blanket. (I made a quick-rising bread roll dough, then cut it up into individual portions. Let her squash it out and roll a hot dog up in it).

By: jp

jp — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 19:58:03 +0000

Make it a time of discovery, experimentation…Science! Or bonding or family history.

Male friends approached cooking as a ‘man thing’ and all about the power tools – called the mixer “The Device” and did a sort of ‘doctor in surgery approach’ – asking for items, ‘slapping’ them into the hands of the ‘doctor’ etc.

We did lots of vinegar and baking soda experiments and made a ‘pH testing solution’ with red cabbage. We made playdough, slime, gak etc (I think there is a book called Magic Mixtures). And don’t forget popsicles! And snow ice cream. And cookies.

There are sooo many ideas – check out your library or favorite bookstore. Ok, ok, there are lots of apps out there too – and pintrest and the internet. There are things like science in the kitchen, chemistry in the kitchen, cooking with kids etc. As a child, my favorite was a book I got to help pick out – Betty Crocker’s Cookbook for Boys and Girls. It had pictures of real kids, very easy to read and follow directions – and great pictures of the food! It’s still around but there are many, many others available as well. There is one about cooking the abc’s that would be fun, especially for kids learning or who have just learned the alphabet.

Mostly, kids just want to spend time with the significant people in their life. Make it fun and don’t obsess with getting it ‘perfect’ or the mess. In fact, if the mess bothers you – find recipes they can take outside to make. Let them share some of what they’ve made. Let them plan a social gathering of some type, even if it’s just with siblings or a best friend and make the food – could be just a simple trail mix or popsicles to eat in the backyard or something far more elaborate, depending on the age and interest of the child.

Even 3 or 4 year olds can cut with plastic knives, even something as hard as an apple.

By: Bethany

Bethany — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 19:35:22 +0000

I don’t have many kid-specific recipes or activities, but my 2-year-old daughter helps in the kitchen frequently. I hand her the pre-measured ingredients for cookies, muffins, pancakes, or bread and she dumps them into the bowl and stirs. She snaps the ends off asparagus, green beans, and peas and helps tear lettuce for salads. When I’m making bread, she gets a little pinch of the dough to knead, and when I’m making pie crust or biscuits she gets to roll or pat a little bit out. Sometimes she’ll bring out her wooden toy knife and cutting board and pretend to chop the same veggies that I am. When we make pizza, she helps put the toppings on (although I usually have to shred double the cheese because so much of it disappears into her mouth). Pizza is especially fun to do when she has a toddler friend over – I make individual pizzas and let the kids put their own sauce and toppings on. It all makes a much bigger mess than if I were to do it alone, but it’s totally worth it. And for cleanup, she loves to wash dishes – the more bubbles, the better!

By: Patricia @ ButterYum

Patricia @ ButterYum — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 16:16:07 +0000

I’m constantly amazed when people tell me they don’t know how to cook, and I know more than 1 family that eats out every night. Can you imagine how expensive and unhealthy? Sigh. When my children were very young, I would let them do simple tasks like stirring or measuring, but now that they’re older, they can easily handle chopping, sauteeing, etc. Bonus – kids are more willing to try unfamiliar foods that they help prepare. Teach age appropriate skills and they’ll reap the rewards (and you’ll save them from a lifetime of fast food).