My toddler and I have now had our share of baking sessions. She loves it. I love seeing how much she loves it. And we both enjoy spending that time together. But it’s not always peachy. Several desserts later, I’ve experienced the fun and not so fun parts of being in the kitchen with a little person. In an effort to save you from unnecessary mishaps, here is my list of Do’s and Don’ts when junior is in the vicinity of an open flame or a hot oven. Practice sanitation: No, your hands cannot go in your butt and then back in the dough. Just when you thought you’d taught your toddler all about cleanliness, she’s picking her nose and waving a booger in your face. Sigh. Even if it doesn’t entirely sink in, keep at it. Wash, wipe, don’t cross contaminate. Practice safe handling skills in the kitchen – your bellies will all thank you for it. Invest in an apron: I don’t know about your little one but mine loves cleaning her hands on anything and everything she finds. Her clothes, her hair, the wall. Whatever will get the slime out of her hands, including the dogs. Rather than having greasy little finger prints all over your wall, buy an apron. They’ll love how ingenious it is for keeping hands clean and it works wonders. Trust me. Emphasize safety: You don’t stick your hand in the oven, you don’t touch the mixer when it’s on, and you definitely don’t put your chin on the pan if it just came out of the oven one second ago. I sometimes don’t even realize the things I need to point out until something happens, like gagging, and then I’m saying “Oh, um, you don’t drink the oil.” Pretend to be a Star: If your toddler is anything like ours, she won’t stop talking. Not for a second. It’s a good thing – we love having conversations with her. But it also means that halfway through making the dough and trying to listen to what she’s saying – I’ve completely lost my train of thought. How much flour did I dump in there already? I have found that if I pretend like I’m on my very own cooking show, sharing my stellar recipe with a viewer of one, she tunes in and keeps quiet. At least long enough to measure the flour. Clean after yourself: If it were up to my toddler she’d be sitting on the dirty floor amidst pots and pans having a bite off that fresh-baked cupcake. Then she’d be running off to make another mess somewhere else in the house. We clean the kitchen and everything we use before we can try what we made. Doing this provides an incentive…and the payoff is always worth it. Who knows, they may even enjoy washing the dishes so much you’ll be set for all your meals! Wouldn’t that be nice. Give them tasks: The first few times we went into the kitchen , I thought “all I have to do is make sure she listens and follows simple instructions.” What. Was. I. Thinking. I would look away for a fraction of […]
↧