Helping Mama & Papa in the kitchen
When I was about 5 or 6, I wanted desperately to fix myself food and snacks. So, I made myself some toast. I stood on a stool, I put in my two pieces of wonder bread in the slots, and I waited. When the bread shot up, I reached to grab my slices, but I lost my footing. My forearm landed squarely on the toaster. Ouuuuuch! It hurt so badly. And, more than my forearm suffering some minor burns, I was more bruised by the feeling of ineptitude in the kitchen.
There must be a way to help our little ones gain confidence in the kitchen, with our guidance and supervision. An urbanMama recently emailed:
My 18-month old daughter very much wants to be a part of helping Mommy and Papa cook. So far one of us has held her up to watch the other, but this doesn't always work, and it doesn't give her a chance to be involved. Bottom line is we have to find something that raises her up to where we're working. We can't use a chair because we've been working on the whole "we don't stand on chairs" idea (and it's not safe, of course). I am also not comfortable trying some kind of foot stool (too tippy). Anyone found something that's worked for you?
How have you gotten the children more involved in the kitchen? At what age?
i think maybe preparing everything at the kids table might be a good start. we would be the ones kneeling on the floor and they would be sitting in their chair! This weekend we are baking cookies--so the mixing and cutting and the icing will include my 19 month old son, but the oven will not. i think once they get a bit taller then you can have them sit at the grown up table---eventually you will make it to the kitchen counter. good luck.
Posted by: Chanda | December 08, 2009 at 10:21 PM
We use a Learning Tower that we found on Craigs List that has been great... there are four rails, it can't be confused for a chair, and both kids can fit in it comfortably. Love it.
Posted by: ae | December 08, 2009 at 10:43 PM
We've got a Learning Tower, but I find it doesn't get her quite high enough to get a good view of the stovetop. I was reading the beginning of Molly Katzen's Pretend Soup the other day, and she's got a lot of great ideas that I hadn't thought of before, like getting an electric skillet that you can use while sitting at the kitchen table.
Posted by: catmom | December 08, 2009 at 11:16 PM
We let my daughter stand on chairs to watch us cook, but she is a bit older (3) and our kitchen chairs are very heavy so they seem stable and safe. It takes creativity to allow a little one to "be involved" but not let them just make a completely chaotic mess. When she was 19 months she was not able to really follow directions yet, it was too irresistible to just dump bowls over or whatever. But often a bowl with a spoon with nothing in it worked for a while to make her feel that she was helping. Now she can actually help stir, or put in the pre-measured ingredients, so it's getting to be more fun for me to have her help. Her attention span is still short though, about 5 minutes probably.
Posted by: jd | December 09, 2009 at 07:50 AM
we have a great high chair that hooks onto the kitchen counter. Works so i can pack her lunch while she eats, and also works if she wants to help while we're cooking.
Posted by: abby | December 09, 2009 at 08:01 AM
I must admit I don't see how standing on chairs is unsafe or to be avoided. Unless your chairs are extremely rickety? I'm a short person and I'm always standing on chairs to reach stuff!
Anyway, my toddler regularly stood on a chair beside me at the counter when I was cooking. He had his own little wooden cutting board and a little wooden knife (it was the one that came with the set of wooden fruit attached with velcro to "cut") I let him go to town on whatever veggie scraps I generated. He loved it.
I also let my kids stand on a chair at the stove and saute onions with me. They are 6 and 9 now and love to cook.
Posted by: zinemama | December 09, 2009 at 08:42 AM
I'm with zinemama; I've let my older daughter stand on a stool in the kitchen for years, probably since she was about 18-24 mos. and now her little sister does the same thing (she's 20 months). they rarely fall off. I have taught the four year old to cut up certain things with a real paring knife (sharper knives can actually be safer since you don't have to use as much pressure to cut!), and she stirs things on the stove with me right there. the little one can stir things like batters, etc. (not on the stovetop of course. although I have let her put pasta into the pot of boiling water with VERY careful supervision). your kids will surprise you with what they are able to do. and yes, sometimes they get hurt, but so do I when I'm cooking! we are very careful to avoid a real accident, but I think it's important to let them help as much as possible before they lose interest in cooking and baking altogether.
Posted by: sarah | December 09, 2009 at 09:26 AM
I'm with zinemama in that we let our little guy stand on chairs when he's helping. He's pretty good at understanding the context and knowing that helping is the only time to stand on a chair.
When he was about 18 months old, I let him rinse dishes. I'd fill one side of the sink with water and he loved getting the bubbles off. I did have to make sure to keep the knives out of reach. There WAS a lot of water spilled, but he's also learned that he needs to clean up (get a rag and wipe it up).
Now, at three, he's a lot better about pouring in pre-measured ingredients. Stirring still means stuff goes everywhere, but I try to keep calm and remember that this is an investment of time and love.
Good luck.
Posted by: js | December 09, 2009 at 09:27 AM
We are admittedly pretty permissive on this issue and our little one has surprisingly good impulse control as long as he feels he is involved.
As young as 12 months, my little one sat on the counter next to me moving whatever I was cutting or dumping whatever I was measuring into a bowl. Somewhere around 18 months he graduated to standing on a chair (turn the chair so that the back is next to the counter to add some stability) and helping. Also, somewhere around that time we got a "high chair" - literally a high chair) from Ikea that is pretty stable. We've never had an issue with him standing on chairs when he isn't helping.
He regularly "washes dishes" in the sink by pulling his high chair to the sink. This regularly facilitates the rest of the household finishing their meal. We just make sure all knives are nowhere in reach. Only one dish has been broken thus far.
He was also very interested in "hots" from about 12 months old. So, we've respected that obsession through high monitoring cooking situations. For instance, he has turned on the coffee machine since about 12 months. If we are holding him, we allow him to stir the soup on the stove top (started around 15 months). We always tell him if we are doing something that will let off a lot steam. Because he has had all of this exposure, at 24 months he understands how "berry berry careful" he has to be around anything slightly warm, whether that be his too hot to eat dinner or the water warming on the stove.
Posted by: Nicole | December 09, 2009 at 10:46 AM
We have a sturdy step stool that has two steps and a handrail across the front.. My son runs to it when I say "lets make dinner".. He is 2 and a half and has been cracking eggs since he was a bit older than two. After the first few times he learned just the right pressure and then hands the egg to me to open into the bowl, pan, etc. He loves to push the button down on the toast, play with bubbles in the sink, measure and dump ingredients, help squeeze the garlic press, and of course sample the ingredients we use to make our food (obviously not raw meat or eggs) but he ate raw onion the other day (seemed to like it), and uncooked pasta seems to be a favorite
Posted by: Lisa | December 09, 2009 at 01:17 PM
Like Lisa, we have a sturdy step stool with two steps & handrail. At 3.25, she has only just now been able to open it herself, so from 18 mo to now, we had control over when the stool came out. At first, the rule was "hands on the counter" but now she gets to stir things, push the button on the coffee grinder, push button on cuisinart (with supervision, of course) and push buttons on the microwave (also with supervision). We have a gas stove, so I've been more reluctant to let her stir things on the stove.
She's been helping empty the dishwasher for over a year - hands us things one at a time, we put on the high shelves. Any sharp items I grab before I let her start.
We could probably let her do more than we do, but we're getting there.
Posted by: SusanOR | December 09, 2009 at 01:26 PM
Peninsula Park Community Center offers a great cooking class for children. Minimum age is either 3 or 4, I don't remember. My son loved it.
Posted by: tracy | December 09, 2009 at 01:26 PM
My boy loves to cook too ... he uses a chair or a step stool. I am trying t let him help wherever he can, as he seems to be relishing in his ability to do things. He is 4.5.
Posted by: KathyT | December 09, 2009 at 01:33 PM
We recently bought a Kitchen Helper by Guidecraft on Amazon for our 18 month old son. We love it. The Helper has 4 sides, chalk board/white board, adjustable height and the best part is it collapses. We have a very small kitchen and space was key. $115
Posted by: ajv | December 09, 2009 at 01:38 PM
IKEA sells a great stool that is very sturdy! It's made of natural wood and is a good height...I just measured ours and it is 18" at the standing platform.
Give your child something to do, even if it has nothing at all to do with the food that is actually being prepped. Let him practice cutting apple slices into pieces, fill water from the sink and pour it into a bowl, etc. It's easy to let them feel involved, and it makes them happy. :)
Posted by: km | December 09, 2009 at 02:29 PM
We have the same IKEA stool & my two year old loves it. It is a good height to reach the counters but not be able to climb on to them.
He likes to pull it over and 'help' with dishes. Mostly just asking me to turn water on so he can put it in a cup to dump into a different cup. Can be messy, but fun & he helps wipe up. I've let him push buttons on the blender & food processor. If I'm baking I'll give him flour to stir (and make a mess with). He loves to watch the mixer & his stool doesn't put him high enough to see inside the bowl, so I put the mixer on the stool so he can watch. He has been helping unload the dishwasher since about 16 months - handing me items to put away. He is respectful of 'hot' and thus respectful of the stove/oven. I ask him to move back a couple of feet if I'm opening the oven & haven't let him help w/ anything on the stove.
He has been wanting to crack an egg. Maybe I should let him try.
Posted by: cg | December 09, 2009 at 03:41 PM
My son always sat on the counter next to me. It was a great position for dumping and stirring. My daughter likes to stand on her "steps" which are a folding two-step stool. Even at a very young age, that put her high enough to see what I was doing, although not enough height to do the stirring when she was so young.
It's great that your daughter wants to help!
Posted by: Janice | December 09, 2009 at 03:52 PM
Learning Tower!! We love it, and also got it on craigslist (actually, stalked it on craigslist--checked night and day until we found someone selling one). My husband and I have often said that it is the ONE baby item, besides diapers, that we couldn't part with.
Now I have two girls (1 & 3) and they both stand on it together, coloring or eating a snack or just watching what I'm doing up there.
Posted by: chambu | December 09, 2009 at 04:09 PM
Both my kids have been helping as long as they've been old enough to stand up reliably. When we moved here we found ourselves in a house with a more separate dining room, so dragging in chairs wasn't as practical. Around the same time my Dad was working on his woodworking skills and my kids were 1 and 3 and would get so excited about kitchen stuff that they didn't always stay up on their chairs.
I sketched up my dream stool (step up to a wide standing platform supported by two sides to keep kids in) and Dad built it and brought it on his next trip out. He painted it a fun red and it has put up with a lot of abuse just fine. It is also sturdy enough that I can use it as a step stool to reach my top cupboards. It lives at the end of my counter. I keep a little IKEA single step tucked under it to pull out for my son to use.
It probably cost about 5 bucks in materials, maybe ten if you add in paint. So dream one up and make it!
Posted by: LizardMama | December 09, 2009 at 05:26 PM
We got the Learning Tower as a gift for my son's 2nd bday. It has been great. Chairs were tipping and he would lean back. It is adjustable and can convert to other fun things. I think new it is $200, but I am sure there are used ones. It made/makes me feel so much more comfortable that he was on something sturdy and somewhat "enclosed". Makes it much more fun. "go get your tower" or "let me get my tower" are very fun phrases at our house.
Posted by: Courtney | December 09, 2009 at 06:43 PM
Just a few quick ideas... Using a small butter knife to slice soft items like bananas, avocado, hard boiled eggs, etc. is a great way for a young one to feel participatory, using a grown-up kitchen tool in a safe manner. We also will often mix, add ingredients and such at the kitchen table together. Practicing measuring can be fun too, like letting them count tablespoons of rice or other grain from one bowl to another, even if it isn't directly helping with your cooking.
Posted by: Amy | December 09, 2009 at 10:36 PM
One more thought: The Montessori catalog, For Small Hands, has lots of great stocking stuffer-ish cooking/kitchen items designed for children, ie they are smaller versions of adult sized tools, such as sifters, wooden spoons, spreaders, juice pitchers etc. Lots of things are reasonably priced. I got a few things for Christmas presents.
Also, thanks for all the great ideas on here! I am definitely going to try letting my daughter wash dishes and crack eggs.
Posted by: jd | December 10, 2009 at 09:30 AM
Our son has been helping in the kitchen since around 15mos- Jiffy muffins being his first culinary adventure. We use a step ladder or dining room chair for him to stand on and have never had a problem. (He also uses this to do his chore-putting away the silverware). I can't imagine spending 200 bucks on a stool for him when the muffins only cost 69 cents. :)
Supervision is the key, endless possibilities are the rewards. So I say, "Let them cook!"
Posted by: eb | December 10, 2009 at 09:45 AM
After our 16mo fell off her sturdy IKEA step stool (reaching too far...) we splurged on a Learning Tower (we searched around after unsuccessful craigslist trolling and found a new one with free shipping and a 20% off coupon). We use it constantly and have never once regretted the somewhat spendy decision. We certainly use it more than any other kid or baby item available in that cost range (3+times daily), it will last through several kids and clearly will retain its resale value.
Now that she's two she helps make the salad every night, loves making muffins, pancakes, bread etc. and she can stand in it for messy art projects in our kitchen which only has counter top height surfaces.
Posted by: rose | December 10, 2009 at 01:49 PM
Leaning tower! A couple on portland craigslist now.
Posted by: dh | December 13, 2009 at 11:31 AM
We also have a Learning Tower that we bought from eBay. There weren't any on Craigslist at the time! There were too many instances where I caught my daughter by the scruff of the neck as she was about to hit the floor falling off a chair. So I decided that if we really wanted her involved, we needed something safe for her to be on.
Now anytime I'm in the kitchen cooking, she says, "I go get my learning tower!" and tries to drag it over. She's 21 months.
Posted by: Jennifer | December 13, 2009 at 01:43 PM
Another vote for the Learning Tower. It is the BEST investment we made in any kind of kid gear/furniture. We use it all day long, every day. We had to jam it in between our butcher block and dishwasher, but we put sliders on the bottom so we can scoot it around easily. Two kids can very safely use it side-by-side. Ours is somewhat grossly coated in the dribs and drabs of cooking with kids, but when we're done we know we can clean it and resell it to recoup our investment ... definitely recommend it!
Posted by: EG | December 14, 2009 at 04:15 PM
Since our kids were toddlers, we let them sit on the counter and help mix, measure, pour. Now, our oldest is 9 and we are letting her cook pasta, make scrambled eggs, warm/boil foods. She is also cutting with our knives. Our 6yo is also doing slow cutting with a small paring knife. She made the salad on her own last night.
I encourage them to do everthing slowly and carefully. And, with a little monitoring, I think they are gaining important confidence in the kitchen. It also gives me a hand so I can tend to the little one.
Posted by: olivia | December 15, 2009 at 10:45 AM
My 2 year old just fell off his Ikea stool twice with in ten minutes. Just looked up the thread to remember the name of Learning Tower.
Posted by: cg | January 07, 2010 at 01:10 PM