Let your littles be in the kitchen!! Mr. Man always wants to help cook and I always try and find something for him to do… I’ll be honest I’ve been PETRIFIED to let him near the stove or oven… but I pulled up my mom jeans and said it was time…
I took the time to lay the ground rules. We talked about hot and cold. I put warm water in a mug and cold water in a mug. He touch both to learn the difference. I showed him what the burner looks like when it is on (ours turns bright red so it’s easy to see). We talked about our safety messages like “stop”, “pause”, and “hands up”. I’ll be honest I probably went overboard but I knew as a mom, I needed this for my own comfort…
Mr. Man was in cooking euphoria. He was SO happy to be helping mommy cook the chicken. Even though he just sprinkled in the seasonings and while I stired. He followed all the rules and when his toddler impulses started to kick in he listened to the safety messages we had talked about before starting.
He learned impulse control, following instructions, cooking and kitchen safety, hot vs cold, and stop/go. Most importantly, I showed him trust. It was such a valuable lesson I’m disappointed I didn’t do it sooner…. Bring on the mom guilt…
So my advice to you momma, get them in the kitchen. Let them cook with you. Teach them and trust them. Know that it will be valuable time that you share. Memories made for a lifetime.
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