Thursday, July 8, 2010

Cooking with…children?? And a Surprising Lunch Creation

Cooking with my children is not my forte. Well, cooking in general is not my forte! It takes me so much time to plan out meals and prepare for them only to:

 

* have plans rearranged so we can’t stick with our meal plan (this happens a lot in our busy life and schedules with a husband in full-time ministry)

* have the meal not be liked by the kids

* have the meal not be liked by me or my husband

* a gigantic mess…and a husband stating that I just need to clean as I go, which I can’t seem to do otherwise something will get burned!

* end up frustrated in the kitchen while I cook (often with something spilled all over the floor or glass shattered everywhere…or both!)

 

So the idea of cooking in the kitchen with my kids “helping” is even more difficult for me. Since my natural tendency is to get frustrated in the kitchen, adding children into the cooking mix just makes it more likely that I am going to become frustrated with them and not be the mom I want to be.

 

As I write this out, it is making me realize that I think we need to begin cooking more together. In addition to all the normal lessons that cooking can provide children (math, science, reading, home economics), I think that cooking together will be able to help JayBird learn to cooperate and follow directions better (which is the main source of my frustration when he is helping me cook) and will help me learn more patience and self-control! I will have to be purposeful about creating some menu ideas that JayBird and JellyBean can help me with.

 

The Homeschool Village is discussing cooking with your children this week. As you have gathered, this is not something I regularly do or encourage with my children, but coincidentally, JayBird made his own lunch creation this week. I walked in on him creating a, um, delicious (??) butter and grape sandwich (grapes were his second choice as we were out of bananas). He was quite proud of himself and ate the WHOLE thing…and thoroughly enjoyed it! The recipe? Well…I think you can easily figure that one out on your own! :-)

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12 comments:

Mozer said...

LOL! Butter and grape sandwich! I love it! COoking w/ kids isn't my forte either. I will admit that I don't start w/ young kids. I wait until they are 8. Now I have a 12 yr. old who is an excellent cook. I still have to train all the others though. I do have a preschooler and toddler and "might" start doing small things with them like letting them decorate cupcakes etc. It's hard sometimes!

Stef said...

Honey - we're box mac & cheese and box brownies. I am terrified to allow my 7yr old to cook! This week has really been a blessing to me and encouragement!

Love the happy smile - I DID IT!

Thanks for linking up -
stef

monica @ paperbridges said...

omgosh! look at that face. too cute. (those days are the best! enjoy, enjoy that little guy)

stacey29lincoln said...

Lunch is a great place to start - less pressure on you as mom and chief cook!

Super cute!

Stacey
from the HS Village

Meghan said...

coming over from iFellowship. I LOVE your blog and just love you! Thanks for the linkup!

Meghan
www.thetuckerstaketennessee.com
www.seedsoffaithwomen.com

Unknown said...

Kids love to make up their own creations and normally will eat it all. I agree about the starting with lunch because its easy to let them make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sephy was making her own when she was really little. I remember times when we would walk in and she would have the gallon of milk and a cup on the floor pouring her some milk at 2. :)

Angela said...

Cute pictures, you right we need to get in the kitchen more with our kids.

Angela

Sherry @ Lamp Unto My Feet said...

It is great to be able to have them help in the kitchen. Who knows my own children might surpass me? :D

Unknown said...

On Fridays, "cooking" IS our school for the day! It's a nice break from routine. We usually make a snack or dessert, since a whole meal would be too much hassle. :) :)

Dusty (To the Moon and Back) said...

I just stopped by your blog from the heart of dakota forum. I have to say that cooking with children is definitely something that can take some time to acquire the patience for! For me, I don't let them help much with dinner, but it is much easier to let them help with breakfasts and lunches because those are generally more laid back affairs here. I look forward to reading your adventures through LHTH! I just finished it with my 4 yr old and she will be starting LHFHG in the fall, and my 2 yr. old will start in LHTH!

Our Family for His Glory said...

How funny!! My girls like to make lunch too- but I haven't seen anything that creative yet:)
Jessica

Anonymous said...

I feel exactly like you do about cooking and especially cooking with kids! I have been trying to make a better (patient) effort at this! Glad to know I'm not the only one!!