Cooking with a child
Cooking with a child
Is it worth letting the child engage in the kitchen? You think that you will do everything better, faster, and above all you will not get dirty as the child does. However, we want to encourage you to cook, baking together with your child.
Home duties can be great fun for both mother and father, as well as for children. True, they can take a lot more time, and the kitchen may look like a battlefield, but for a child the time to join home work is priceless - it's fun, learning and fun when your toddler does something useful and enjoyable himself.
Toddler in the kitchen
Encouragement for joint preparation of meals can be together chosen cook recipes. Let the child choose a few dishes - suggestions, so that you can decide later which dish you will make.
Earlier, make a shopping list, and spend time on shopping you can learn. How to buy undamaged fruits and vegetables, what dairy is the best, what kind of bread is the healthiest.
Children in the kitchen learn how to use cutlery, names for various items and spices. They train their motor skills, touch various shapes and textures, smell scents, or experience the world with all their senses. You do not need to observe your child specifically to see how much he eagerly counts down salad or apple pie to apple pie. Toddler can put the measured flour and sugar into the dough. Pour water from the glass, toss the salad into pieces, cut the fruits and vegetables, rub the carrot and apples on the grater.
While kneading the dough give a piece to your child - let him knead it with his fingers, improve his manual efficiency. Toddler is also able to make pieces of cheese, cold cuts, cucumbers and other ingredients on skewers. If you have sliced ham and sliced cheese, your child can even make a sandwich! After smearing the sandwich with butter using a wooden knife, just put the right ingredient on the bread and decorate it with a dot of ketchup. An individually prepared sandwich tastes best.
For family cooking, it's best to choose a day off when you do not have to rush to work and the phone stops ringing nervously. Let your child do simple things - explain what to do, or show how it's done, then let the child try. Do not be critical towards a toddler - the child is just learning. Be patient and praise the child for each activity. Tell him that you are proud of him, that you like and rejoice when he helps you and you are grateful for his involvement. And after kitchen adventures give your child time to relax - cooking requires a lot of child energy.
Learning the principles of proper nutrition
While cooking, you can teach children the principles of proper nutrition. In a fun and interesting way tell your toddler about the nutritional values of fruits and vegetables. About the calcium contained in milk his dairy products that the best is natural yogurt. You can add fruits to him that you want. Spending time in the kitchen with your child preparing dishes, you show that dinner is more than opening a fridge and using a microwave.
During the kitchen games, the toddler feels treated "as adults do". He sees himself as an important family member whose help and commitment is important to you.
Kitchen safety
Remember to follow a few important rules when preparing meals with your child:
- Before cooking, wash your hands thoroughly - dirty hands are spread by germs and bacteria.
- Put on aprons so as not to stain your clothes.
- Hot pots, pans, baking sheets set aside away from the edge of the table or table, so that the child could not reach and burn them.
- Try to cook on the burners in the back of the oven.
- Use gloves with Thick protective gloves to transfer hot dishes.
- When you open the oven, do not allow your child to get close to his nose - hot air can burn his face.
- Turn off the mixer, juicer, grinder, toaster, blender from contact as soon as you finish using them.
- Do not let your child eat the raw dough, do not do it yourself. Eating raw eggs threatens salmonella.
- Remind your child that it is not allowed to brandish a knife, even a dull knife, and can only be cut on a chopping board.
Have a good time with your child while cooking.
All the best,
