Baby In The Kitchen

Since the first day of her life BF has spent a lot of time in the kitchen. At first she was underfoot in her bouncy seat just observing all of the hustle and bustle. Then she was sitting up or crawling on the floor trying to pull up on everything. In an effort to keep her safe and entertained (and to stem to tide of drool from teething) I started giving her rubber spatulas to play with.

Now that BF is a toddler, she runs in and out of the kitchen when I am working bringing me toys or plopping down on the floor to read a few books. She also still loves to play with the spatulas and some other assorted kitchen paraphernalia including all-clad pots and (of course) Tupperware bowls. For a while, a fun game for her would be to pretend to "mix-mix" in the bowls with the spatulas before putting the bowl on her head (she also thinks the bowls are "hats.) Recently however, she has expressed an interest in actually mixing the food I am cooking. So, I bring her up and she helps me sautee onions, mix pancake batter, or stir a sauce. Although the onions often end up on the floor or scattered across the range, I continue to let her help at every possible opportunity.

I never had a doubt that BF would grow up in the kitchen but I cannot express how much joy her new interest in cooking has brought to me. It is really never too early to get your kids involved in cooking. Even as a baby there are simple ways to get them to participate in your process and to share with them some basic kitchen skills such as mixing and pouring. What a truly special activity for any mother and child to share together!