Cooking Up Quality Time
The kitchen is a great place for your little one to help out, regardless of their age. Try making a snack together for some quality time that builds connection and makes them feel accomplished.
- Pick an easy recipe that's yummy for kids but also nutritious. You can find a few of our favorites here: Fast, fresh, and fun.
- Read through the entire recipe together and decide which steps your child will help with. They will still need instruction and supervision, but giving them their own task will help them feel important and in control while having fun. Here are a few examples of kid-friendly tasks:
- Pour dry and liquid ingredients into a bowl.
- Count ingredients.
- Stir batter in a bowl.
- Crack an egg.
- Set the timer.
- Clean up.
- Complete the recipe and enjoy your creation together.
It helps them learn to slow down and problem-solve, which will help them develop skills to navigate the world on their own. It also boosts self-esteem and social skills - it helps them feel like what they do matters and that they're capable of helping someone else.
Try this next:
Involving your kids in preparing their snacks makes them more excited to eat. Also, when they're involved in the prep they may become more interested in trying new things.