Dinnertime is challenging in our house. On daycare days I pick the Bear up at 5:15 PM and get home around 5:30 PM. The easiest thing to do is reheat something just for him to eat for dinner and then Mike and I will have dinner later (around 8 usually). However, I love to be able to eat my dinner with the Bear. I think he appreciates it too. It makes him feel like one of us. It is challenging though. Mike usually comes home around 7:15 on average so I fly solo tending to the very active Bear and cooking dinner. One evening instead of trying wrangle the Bear and whip up dinner I thought, "What if I let him help?" That also sounded like a craaaaazy idea but I gave it a try and OH MY GOODNESS! It was easier! It was awesome! We made roasted brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes and bacon.
I sat him in his booster seat and gave him a little bowl while I peeled the sweet potatoes. He put the potato skins into the little bowl (and then dumped them out and then put them back in again.) When I started to chop the sweet potatoes I would push them to him and he would put them in the big bowl. Then I washed the brussel sprouts and put them in a bowl. He took them out and put them in his little bowl which is where I grabbed them from and chopped them in half. Once everything was chopped up and in one big bowl I drizzled olive oil and let him mix it up with his hands although he preferred to stir it up with a spatula.
He also tried eating everything raw. When it was time to put them on a cookie sheet I let him help me transfer the veggies from the bowl to the sheet. When we were done I took him out of his chair so he could watch me put them in the preheated oven. Here he is pointing at them in the oven:
It was so much easier letting him be involved rather than trying to keep him away. Plus he got to be a part of the prepping which he loves so much.Action:
the cook from erin kawamata on Vimeo.
That is so smart, Erin! I'm sure Stanley has a blast helping you cook. Maybe one day he'll be a chef!
ReplyDeleteHey, Erin...You are so smart to do this and little Stanley seemed to be so enjoying...his play/cooking was purposeful and I think he must know that...Love his little expressive voice!!
DeleteRemember the photo of you helping knead our bread and you had flour all over you?