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Cooking with Kids

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More Than Mud Pies!

Oh, the joy of cooking with kids! The glee that is felt when you reach into a bowl of gooey cookie dough along side a pudgy three-year-old fist. There's nothing like it! It is pure bliss! Squeezing handfuls of squishy dough and letting it ooze out between your fingers, sneaking a lick of chunky chocolate magic - makes me want to abandon this lens and grab a bag of chocolate chips and a pre-schooler! Follow me for a foray into the world of Cooking with Kids...

Sanity in The Kitchen

What you need to stay emotionally safe in the kitchen with children

Setting foot in the kitchen with children is not a safe, sane adventure. It is fraught with the perils of messes and mistakes, of salt instead of sugar, of puddles and piles. Only the very courageous or well-equipped should try this at home.

What You'll Need

* A sense of adventure: Don't ask your children to help when you are preparing your first Baked Alaska for your husband's boss. Cooking with children should be an exercise in expectancy - a "what will it look like when it's all done" attitude.

* Expect it to spill: Because it will. Set out with the knowledge that a mess will be made, ingredients could be wasted and fun will be had.

* Patience: Perhaps the biggest virtue on this list, patience is extremely important when cooking with kids. If they sense you are impatient, they will end up feeling inadequate. Kids are very sensitive to shame and if they feel they are disappointing you by their slowness, they will stop having fun and start performing. The difference will kill joy.

* Time: Make sure you set aside enough time to play, teach, and experiment. If the first batch turn out flat, explain why that might have happened and discover what might help. Let kids make suggestions, even if you already know it just needs another couple of spoonfuls of flour. Setting aside enough time will help you be patient, which you should have plenty of before you enter the Kingdom of Kids in the Kitchen.

When you are equipped with the right attitude and expectations, cooking with kids can be contagious!

Best Kids' Cookbooks

These cookbooks have fun recipes, colorful pictures, and terrific ideas. Enjoy with a child or your inner child!

More Stuff to Help In The Kitchen

What Do You Like To Cook With Your Kids?

Share your favorite easy-to-make ideas

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Jan 1, 2011 @ 7:26 am | delete

I'd like to recommend the "Kitchen Helper" by Guidecraft - most practical to use for children and available at www.toysandstuff.net