Do you remember this time when you decided to disappear in the kitchen and your toddler either got mad or sad? Whether it is a husband cleaning the dishes or a wife casually making some sandwich there is one golden rule on what you can do to make your time more pleasant in the kitchen.
Toddlers are extremely practical, often being ready to help when it is needed. You could experience them trying to help you with house chores, folding clothes, or putting shoes in the right place (“right” meaning the one that they consider propper for the shoes, it might not be aligned with your ideas). Whatever they do it should serve the purpose. Helping in the kitchen would be good for both of you. They would be working on meaningful new skills, at the same time focussed so much that nagging you wouldn’t be a problem anymore.
How to start
At first it might sound scary to engage such a small kid in the kitchen. You should think of activities that are simple and safe. Good starting point would be cutting a banana. Prepare a cutting board and a table knife or butter knife. Peel the banana and show how to cut a few first slices. You could use either a high chair or a kitchen helper. I use a peach kitchen tower, you can find it at https://peach.sg/, but any kitchen tower would do its job.
Do not tell them how to do it. Show them how to do it and do not say a word. If you tell them, they will watch your lips move. If you show them, they will want to do it themselves.
What are the next steps
It may take days or weeks until they master cutting the banana (or other soft fruits and veggies) but there are many other things they can do. You can find some ideas here:
- Peeling banana, tangerine
- Transferring oats to the bowl before eating breakfast
- Pouring different things into a bowl while making a cake
- Pouring water into a cup from a small jug – (did you know that an open cup best supports the development of the mouth for proper swallowing?)
- Spreading cream cheese/jam etc. on their sandwich
- Helping to set the table
There are many more!
At the beginning you might need to add some extra time and patience for the preparation and probably cleaning afterwards, but the benefit of time together and new skills learned will soon pay off! What is more, every time your child will help you prepare a meal he/she will be more willing to eat the food!