Bonding in the Kitchen

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     My mother always encouraged us to help in the kitchen and often asked us to help out with little tasks at dinnertime. I still remember the mess my siblings and I created cutting out and decorating Christmas cookies or heart cookies at Valentine’s Day and then the joy of getting to lick out the bowl. Those are memories that I cherish and skills that I have built upon and now include my own daughter in the kitchen. Unfortunately, it seems that many millennial parents don‘t actually prepare meals from scratch today and their busy schedules often keep them from cooking at all. That is why we at Back to Basics Literacy added Bookworm Bakers to help parents creatively combine books with everyday cooking.

     A story can either introduce a food or activity or it can reinforce one if read after the fact. Cooking or baking with your child can be a fun planned activity or it can and should be something that is just done when preparing family meals. They don’t have to be elaborate meals but always include your child(ren) so that they can spend quality time with you and they can see what considerations are needed and what it takes to actually prepare the family meal. We understand that our back to basics approach can mean slower meal prep and a few more messes but it will aid in the development of a whole and well-rounded child as well as teaching real life skills.

     Use time in the kitchen with your child(ren) to:

• Help plan menus and decide how to alter recipes to suit different tastes or needs.
• Identify different foods.
• If time permits point out colors, textures, sizes, smells etc. (for example the differing vegetables in a salad).
• When allowing children to help cut vegetables or other foods discuss halves, thirds and quarters etc. and then count how many total pieces.
  • Don‘t be afraid to let your child handle a knife when helping in the kitchen (under close supervision, of course). For further reading on the benefits of letting kids use knives, take a look at this article from Wellness Mama.
    
• Discuss various kitchen tools and their uses.
• Allow children to help decide how to change up the menu or a recipe.
• Discuss where our food comes from and perhaps consider planting a garden or visit a fresh market or farmer’s market.

Remember that involving kids in the kitchen helps to develop:

• Fine Motor Skills – This is especially important in young children who are learning simple life skills such as working buttons and snaps on clothing, tying shoe laces and holding a pencil. Helping in the kitchen with chopping, peeling, whisking, measuring, washing and stirring helps to develop fine motor coordination.
  

• Communication – Not only is this a great time to bond with your child but also a time to converse about what you are making, what you need to do and how to best accomplish the task. This also helps to increase vocabulary. Make it fun by working to music and reading a short story in between steps.
  

• Reading & Writing – The two skills that are necessary to a full life. Recipes are wonderful not only to develop reading skills but also for following directions and sequencing. Create visual recipe cards for pre-readers and readers can help to choose recipes, create menus and write out shopping lists. For an example of visual recipes cards read A Mom with a Lesson Plan‘s blog post: Teaching Math and Reading with Cooking.
  

• Math & Science – Almost all cooking involves math through counting, adding, subtracting and measuring using whole numbers and fractions. Double or halve a recipe to further utilize math skills. Baking is pure science with each ingredient having its own function. Observe and discuss the physical and chemical changes that take place.
  

• Cultural Awareness – With the plethora of international foods, it‘s rather easy and fun to explore different cultures. You can use the celebration of a particular holiday such as St. Patrick‘s Day or Cinco de Mayo to prepare the food of that culture and then research the history behind the holiday and its country of origin. This way you can include geography and history in your cooking adventures and an appreciation of other cultures.
  

• Life Skills – Cooking is an essential life skill that allows for independence and builds self-confidence. Skills that you can help your child learn are planning, budgeting, flexibility and adapting to various situations. Let them help with menu planning, making a shopping list, participating in actual shopping and perhaps make some surprise changes along the way to teach them how to adjust when unexpected situations arise. Most of all, have fun and keep a sense of humor.
  

Happy baking and bonding!

-Kate @ BTBL

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Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 4) for Kate, and two sons (now 1 and a newborn) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.