Being a working mom many aspects of life can get on top of you. Here are creative ways to engage your child in the kitchen. Although you may spend little time with your child due to work commitments, the build-up of house chores, and many other aspects of life it can be very difficult to get time to spend with your children even at the weekend. This can cause stress within a parent and also emotional behavior within the child due to the lack of affection between the child and parent.
Amazing Ways To Engage Your Child In The Kitchen
As a parent, it’s important to come up with an environment that’s not only fun for the child but also fits in with your schedule. In most households, a mother spends most of her time in the kitchen while their child plays or wanders around. This is a great opportunity to engage with your child and really involve them in your daily routine. Here are some creative ways in which you can engage your child in the kitchen.
Bake With Your Child In The Kitchen
Baking in the kitchen is a great way to engage with your child. Making anything out of dough that your child can mold is great fun for kids. Whether your baking pastries, cookies, or muffins your child will love molding the dough into fun-sized pieces and shapes. Why not purchase some fun-sized tins or cutters for kids and let them take charge. This way you’ll be able to bake your own treats and take away the worry of sugary treats all kids crave at the superstore.
Let Your Child Take Charge
One of the best ways to boost your child’s confidence is to let them take charge. This can increase their confidence skills and make them more responsible. So what if they make a mess and things fail at least you let them try and learn for next time.
Depending on the age of the child will depend on the amount of responsibility you allow them. With little kids, you obviously wouldn’t allow them to do heavy cleaning or cooking. However, you can allow them to mix cake batter, mix ingredients, wash vegetables, and so on. When they get older you can move onto things like oranging utensils or putting pots and pans away. This will help them build their confidence and communicate their thoughts when they get older.
Keep Up With Hygiene, Health, & Cleanliness
Giving your child an environment with a number of activities available to them will give them a sense of independence and comfort. Many activities such as laying the table, loading the dishwasher, and cleaning surfaces can not only boost their confidence but also teach them about the importance of hygiene, health, and cleanliness. Small chores such as folding towels or cleaning the table after mealtimes can really make your child feel more needed and helpful. As a parent don’t get too carried away with the help your receiving. It’s important you appreciate your kids for the help they are providing as this will allow them to be more focused and they will put more effort into their development and behavior.
If you have younger kids in the kitchen with you make sure you baby proof it before allowing them in. Make sure you leave sharp materials, electronic machines, and hot pans out of reach. Keeping your child safe in the kitchen should be your top priority and teaching your kids about kitchen safety at the same time makes it a win-win situation for both parent and child.
Use Fruits And Veggies To Your Advantage
There are many ways in which you can encourage your child to use fruits and vegetables in the kitchen. When it comes to toddlers they tend to be intrigued by bright, shiny, and textured objects. Allowing your child to play with different fruit and vegetables in the kitchen is a great way to engage them. allow them to wash them and even group them up into their favorite taste. Allowing them to choose the fruit and vegetables they would like to eat that day is also a good idea. Repeating this daily and talking about the benefits of each fruit and vegetables can help them learn about their goodness and encourage them to consume more.
Ignite Their Curiosity
When your child is a toddler it’s the best time to teach them habits that they will take into their adulthood. If your cooking in the kitchen and your child is with you it’s a great opportunity to ask questions. You can ask your toddler questions such as what vegetable is this? or what’s your favorite fruit?. They may find it difficult to answer some questions however it will definitely enhance the creative side of their brains. Another way to engage them is by asking how many vegetables do I have? What color is this fruit and so on? This way you can continue your child’s learning and work at the same time.
Creative Ways To Engage Your Child In The Kitchen- Conclusion
There are many creative ways in which you can engage your child in the kitchen and get on with your own work at the same time. Not only will your child help you with basic chores in the kitchen but they will also start to learn more and more as time goes on. This is a great way to engage your child in a number of different activities that will not only teach them new skills but also challenge their creative side.
