One of our family activities is cooking together. Both of my kiddos have been assisting me in the kitchen since they were toddlers. My 12 year old loves to do it more than her brother, but he also loves to make brownies, homemade pizzas, and his favorite, deviled eggs. With the holidays upon us, baking and cooking as a family is a great way to spend some time together. Then, you can share with family and friends the goodies you made.
When we first started out, I will be honest it was with baked goods. My kids have been mixing cookies, muffins, and brownies for years. Starting with baked goods teaches mixing, breaking eggs, measuring, and normally you do not need knifes. Plus, an added bonus, it is fun to eat baked goods. I would tend to gather all the items needed before calling them to the kitchen. We would wash hands and then get down to work.
Now, my kids help with full meals when there is time. I do not try to cook with the kids if we are in a hurry. I try to make sure we have plenty of time to cook and have fun without stress. Mostly Sunday lunches or Saturday dinners are the easiest at our house. We will make a meal plan, go shop for all the needed items, and work together to make the meal. I assign tasks, even to the hubs, and we play some fun music to sing and dance too. The kids love seeing what they make come together and all of us eat it. I will admit it can get messy but it is totally worth the extra dishes and mess.
Some tips I have found out:
- I look for recipes that have words and pictures to help my struggling readers. (Cooking is great at working on reading and math skills.) We search online or check out library cookbooks a lot.
- Keep it simple. Do not pick a long complicated recipe that no one will like. If your family loves tacos, then make tacos.
- Make it fun. Turn on music, dance and laugh together. It is not about perfection, it is about memories.
- Share your items. My neighbors get texts often asking if they would like some muffins, cupcakes etc. that we have made. The kids love sharing what they bake and walking it over to them.
- Assign jobs and have lots of towels around – lol!
Have fun and this holiday season plan a meal together and enjoy it. Set the table, light some candles, and make memories around yummy food.
