Ever since I was a kid, I remember being in the kitchen and loving it. The kitchen is where some of the greatest memories I have of my mom are. I remember learning to bake and cook at a young age. I even emptied the dishwasher when I was like 4 or 5. My job was the silverware, because I could reach the drawer for it. I just remember the kitchen was the gathering place growing up. I still love being in the kitchen and truly believe that is where some of the best memories we are making as a family. 

Let’s talk about kids in the kitchen. I don’t know about you, but my kids love to be in the kitchen. It is like they have a sensor and know when I am in the kitchen and coming running down. I have learned a lot about cooking and baking with kids, so I am going to share my tips with you. 

• First of all and the hardest thing is there will be a mess. 

It happens and you can’t really control that as much as you want to. Once I accepted that there will be a mess it has been more enjoyable having the kids in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, I still have rules and remind them a lot that we don’t want to make a mess and we have to be careful. If I can minimize the mess it’s a win for everyone. Just accept there will be a mess, but teach them to try and be neat. So be PATIENT!!!

• Start with easy recipes.

Lately my kids have been all about coming up with new recipes. So I have been teaching Lele how I create ideas. I love looking at magazines, cookbooks and Pinterest for ideas. We even get ideas from eating out too. By looking through things, it also has them reading a little bit. I like to start with easy recipes. Have the kids pick out recipes, this gets them involved too. This helps them feel comfortable in the kitchen and familiar with cooking and baking. I taught Lele to make spaghetti sauce. And after a few times she really mastered it. It was so good, I decided to add the recipe to my blog. Isabella is a great little baker. She can really mix the ingredients and she is getting really good at scooping dough. 

• Prep work makes it easier.

When it comes to measuring ingredients, I premeasure them for the most part. I find this helps with the mess.I know control issues. But I am teaching Lele to measure the ingredients, it helps with her fractions. However with JJ and Isabella, we are just starting to work on measuring ingredients. Measuring ingredients really depends on the age of the kid to me. I try to have my kids do most of the work. If more than one is in the kitchen with me, I make sure they take turns.

• Make sure to read the recipe

The importance of reading a recipe before starting making sure they understand it and you have all the ingredients is a must!! If we know we are going to be making a recipe, we go through the recipe to make sure we have everything. THIS is just a must for anyone getting ready to cook or bake!! Reading through the recipe is also important to make sure you understand what you will be doing. 

• Rules of the Kitchen

Make sure your kids understand the rules of the kitchen. Everyone must wash their hands. My kids know we wash our hands a lot while cooking and baking. The oven is hot, that is Mommy’s job. If you use an electric mixer, make sure they know to keep their hands out of it. I make sure my girl’s hair is pulled back. Set rules for your kitchen and make sure everyone knows them.

• Make it fun

My kids love to wear aprons, it really makes them feel like a little chef. We play music and sing songs. It is such a great bonding experience with the kids and so much fun, even though it can be stressful at times. 

So get in the kitchen and have fun baking and cooking with your kids. Trust me when they can cook a meal by themselves, it will be a glorious thing!!

That’s the Dish from My Kitchen to Your Kitchen ????

Billie-Jo