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Helping in the kitchen isn’t just for older children and teenagers. There are plenty of cooking steps that are safe and easy for your toddler to help with. By letting him or her get involved in helping you cook healthy recipes, you show your child that healthy food is fun, teach him or her valuable life skills, and create a special parent-child bonding time. Next time you cook, consider letting your son or daughter help with some of the following steps.
Help Gather Ingredients for the Recipe
Allow your toddler to help you gather ingredients for your recipe. He or she can get small jars or bottles out of the refrigerator, bring you items on lower shelves in the pantry or low cabinets, and bring you spices. He or she may also be able to open some types of packages.
Prepare the Ingredients
In some cases, your child can actually help you prepare the ingredients for the recipe. If you will be using bananas, let your toddler peel them. Are you using lettuce or another leafy green? He or she will have fun tearing it apart into smaller pieces. Your son or daughter can even help by scrubbing potatoes for you.
Measuring Ingredients
A child who is only two or three years old probably won’t be able to measure out ¾ a cup of flour or ½ teaspoon of salt, but he or she will be able to fill a spoon or tell you when the ingredient reaches a certain line in a measuring cup. Doing this part together not only creates a bonding experience, but begins to teach your child how to measure and read fractions.
Mash Ingredients
If you are using softened fruits or vegetables, your toddler will have lots of fun mashing them up for the recipe. This part can get a little messy if he or she gets overexcited, so be sure to set down a towel or two and put an apron on each of you. The possible mess will be worth it to see the delighted giggles and teach your child a new skill at the same time.
Add Items to the Bowl
Once you have measured your ingredients and are ready to put them into the bowl or pan, you can have your son or daughter take over. He or she can add everything to the bowl or pan based on your directions.
Stir the Ingredients
After you—or both of you—have put everything into the proper bowls or pans, you can let your toddler stir dry or wet ingredients. Teach him or her how to do it slowly to avoid spilling and how to scrape the sides to ensure everything mixes together as evenly as possible. You probably won’t want your small child next to a hot stove, but if you do decide he or she is ready for that responsibility, be sure to stay right there to supervise and prevent burns.
Brush on Butter or Oil
Are you making rolls or basting a turkey? Let your toddler help. He or she can use the brush to help you coat the food. You have the benefit of a little helper to get you through the task faster, and your son or daughter will get a kick out of “painting” the food.
Help With Cleanup
Once your recipe is in the oven, it’s time for cleanup. This is an especially important task for your child to help with because it teaches him or her responsibility. Together, you can throw away garbage, put dishes in the sink and put unused ingredients back into the refrigerator or pantry. Don’t forget to wipe down the table and sweep the floor if necessary.
The Easiest Way to Let Your Child Help
Sometimes life gets so busy that you don’t have time to cook on your own, let alone time to instruct a toddler in helping. You can still take a special day from time to time to bake an easy “recipe” that takes almost no time at all. Simply purchase premade cookie dough, have your toddler put scoops of it onto a cookie sheet, and stick it in the oven. Hamptoncreek sells organic, plant-based cookie dough that tastes great and is healthy for the entire family. You can find it in Walmart, Target, and a variety of other retailers.
Spending time with your toddler isn’t just important for his or her own needs. It may seem like you have forever, but remember, they grow up fast. By cooking together, you will instill responsibility and build memories you both will remember for a lifetime.
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