Since I now spend more time at home, I’m cooking and baking a lot more than I ever did. Since I grew up in a kitchen, I think C should as well. He drags his chair over, or even sits on the counter, and we talk through each ingredient, measurement, and tool I’m using. We’ve gotten to the point where he’ll squeeze his own orange juice, roll pizza dough and place the muffin liners in the tin. I figure it’s an early math lesson (1/2 cup, 1tsp, etc.), but also valuable mama/son bonding time. And of course, my b-school nature never really leaves, so I’ve created a spreadsheet with kid-size tools we’ll buy so as he learns more, he can mix, blend and pour with his own tools.
That and he loves himself a play kitchen, but most of the kitchens I’ve seen are cheap plastic, unbelievably girl-themed (purple gingerbread scalloped ovens, anyone?), or not “functional”, even in a play-capacity. IKEA has this kitchen which is the best I’ve found so far, but I’m think we may even go the route of making our own, that’s durable, and that he could actually use to help with prep.
I hope he keeps loving cooking, and learning. I wouldn’t kick out a future Mario Batali at Thanksgiving in 25 years anyway…
mbamamablog 