Cooking With Littles
Ever struggle with finding the time to cook healthy, from-scratch foods, while caring for little ones?
Sometimes it feels like it's hard enough to get noodles cooked and leftover sauce heated up, when you have babies and toddlers that just want mommy to focus on them, and not on that gourmet dinner you've long since given up the notion of making!
Over at the Nourishing Gourmet, I'm part of a guest panel on this very topic, giving my own tips and tricks for preparing nourishing and homemade foods even in this busy and demanding season of motherhood. Kimi and several other panelists share their thoughts and ideas as well, which I thought were excellent and really helpful!
You can read it here: Panel Post: Cooking Healthy Food With Young Children
On a similar note, check out a previous post of mine, on Accomplishing Tasks with Little Ones Underfoot.
Are you in a season where this is a struggle? What are some of the ways that you enterprising ladies have come up with to keep your children safe, happy and occupied while you work in the kitchen?
More from Keeper of the Home
- Baking with honey | Keeper of the Home
- Living Simple Saturdays | Keeper of the Home
- Composting With Worms | Keeper of the Home
- Baking Day: Making Progress! | Keeper of the Home
![Recommend [keeperhome]](http://s3.amazonaws.com/arkayne-media/img/logo-recommend-me.png){kind=logo}
I have my 16-month old daughter "help" me. I set her up with a chair and let her watch me as I cook. I have a drawer in my kitchen with all her "supplies" that she can play with as she helps. She'll sample all the food as I'm preparing, which has been a great way to introduce her to some awesome raw veggies. It takes oh-so-much-longer to get anything done (and is super, super messy!), but she has a great time, I feel like we are really bonding and it allows me to live my life as an example to her.
[Reply]
Here's a post I wrote awhile back on involving children in household tasks.
http://a-heart4home.blogspot.com/2008/09/living-simply-saturday-involving-our.html
Now, I'm headed over to the Panel Post to read all of your ideas!
Allyson
http://a-heart4home.blogspot.com
[Reply]
although I have a toddler and a newborn (who just hangs out with us in the kitchen!), this isn't super hard to do IF you adjust your time schedule. Instead of dinner taking 30 minutes to make, I find it is much more relaxing and FUN(!) if you begin with the idea that it's going to take twice as long (at least). This is something that our family has done for the 10 months (our son will be 2 in june) since our little guy could walk well. He climbs up on a stool, puts anything measured into the bowl for baking, and often helps with rinsing dishes to put into the dishwasher (and unloading them!). I think the biggest hurdle moms have to get over --including me on less patient days-- is that they take longer to do things than we would like. If we're patient with them, it not only becomes something fun to do together, but they are learning responsibility and chores at such an early age!We have some of our best times in the kitchen! Good post!
Sarah M
[Reply]
I'll have to check that out, thanks!
My kitchen is very small, so I do not allow kids to play in there, it would be too dangerous. I do allow my 3 year old to stand on a chair and help me with things at the sink and counter of course though! That is the best way I accomplish things with her around. If I give her some time, then often she gets bored after a while and she will go play in the living room. It helps our house is open concept so that makes up for the small space.
With the baby I often wear her in the Moby wrap or ergo that I have, unless I am working with hot stuff or at the stove etc. I have a little bouncy seat thing that I can set her in for that, but often she doesn't want to be there long.
Sometimes I set some simple stuff up for her (3 year old) at the dining room table too, or put on music for her, which makes it more fun for her. I also give her small jobs to do that are age appropriate. Having a cupboard (for me in the adjacent dining room) with real (but safe) kitchen things at a child's level can help when they are about 1 or so and into that getting into everything stage.
[Reply]
-feed them first
-feed them during
-occupy those busy hands with simple tasks (although this increases cooking time a great deal at first, my kiddos - well, not J - are at the point that they're actually helpful)
-prep food (or make the entire meal) first thing in the morning when everyone's happy
-keep meals simple
-leftovers
Rod & Staff's "Mother's Little Helper" Cookbook is very sweet - one page has the child's instructions, the facing side is for "Mother"
[Reply]