How to Cook with Toddlers & Preschoolers without Losing Your Mind

‘TIS THE SEASON FOR BAKING, and if you’re in the kitchen a lot these days, that’s exactly where your kids–the messy ones who don’t always listen to instructions–want to be.

But can be fun to cook with toddlers & preschoolers. It’ll be slow and you’ll have flour in places the white stuff has never seen before but really and truly, you and your little guys can enjoy this time together. Here is how we do it around here.

THE LOGISTICS

• Get Everyone Situated, and Safely. Kitchens are adult-sized, so you’ll need sturdy stools or chairs for the little guys to stand on. Sometimes I even let them sit on the counter (Shhh!). Because here’s what the kids want: To see. To see inside the bowl you’re mixing. So get them somewhere that can happen.
• Arm Yourself with Aprons. Everyone gets one, even me. They keep the kids’ clothes from getting totally ruined and act as impromptu washcloths. Also, aprons are festive, a signal that something special is happening. It’s officially cooking time!
• One Wet Rag. I use a damp dishtowel and set it on the counter. We wipe off fingers, especially those that have just cracked eggs and depending on the state of things, wipe down the counter as we go.
• Garbage/Compost Bin. Put this thing near the action so you’re not running across the kitchen every time you need to throw something away. Zipping to the trash can will require turning your back on the urchins and trust me, that’s when you’ll have trouble.
• Set Out Ingredients First. Not to get too French on you, but there’s a whole term for this called mise en place, and it means “everything in its place.” The serious cooks always make sure the mini peanut butter cups for your melting snowmen are:
  1. In the house.
  2. Right where they need it before getting halfway through a recipe and cursing themselves for running out. (Then apologizing to the kids, “No mommy didn’t mean to say that. No, you shouldn’t say that. No seriously, don’t ever say that in front of grandma…”)

TACTICAL TIPS

• Give Everyone a Task. Glance over the recipe ahead of time and find little pockets of work that tiny hands can do. Whisking, stirring, helping you pour out a measuring cup, rolling balls, these are some of the easiest things kids can do. Talk them through it ahead of time, or at least in real time, letting them know which parts they get to do. This will matter a lot.
• Do It Together. For reasons of safety (theirs) and sanity (mine) I often have my toddlers hold my wrist while I’m slicing with a knife, pouring liquids, zesting, grating or anything else that would be nerve-wracking for them to try on their own. Even holding onto me while I do it is surprisingly satisfying for them and less stressful for me.
• “Hands Up!” What I actually say when I want there to be NO chance of the kids touching something hot or sharp. Sometimes I just say “hands up!” to calm things down if it’s getting chaotic. They hold their arms straight up, fingers outstretched and actually think it’s very fun. I think it’s very safe.
• Encourage Clean Up. About halfway through I like to clear the decks. Throw stuff away, wipe down the counter and get our bearings again. Tidying feels good. Calming. Also, it’s nice to have little people carry bowls and spoons to the sink for you and they’ll likely be too kaput at the end to help here.
• The Rules are the Rules. This is the biggest one so I saved it for last. I’m the most strict with our kids in the kitchen. We have a couple of rules that must be followed or else the little guys just can’t continue.
  1.  Listen to instructions. No rogue ingredients in the bowl, no grabbing and if I say stop, stop.
  2. No whining. There is no crying in the kitchen. My girls have heard this so often they might confuse me for Tom Hanks. If they’d ever actually seen “A League of Their Own”, or really any movie that’s not a cartoon… Anyway, anyone who can’t follow the rules can’t stay in the kitchen, so it’s good to have dad around in case you need someone to escort a renegade cook elsewhere.

You may end up with extra sweets this season which may come in handy. Faster than you can say “Oh! We’re exchanging gifts?” to a mom at the playground you’ll have found yourself in the kitchen WITH your kids AND enjoying it. A tiny Christmas miracle.

Just to get you started, here are some our simplest yet most gift-worthy recipes:

• Cinnamon Sugar Crisps
• No Bake Chocolate Fruit & Nut Balls
• Oven-Baked Apple Chips
• Orange Pound Cake Muffins
• Sweet & Salty Cheese Ball Pops
• Better for You Sugar Cookies