“Mommy, can I help?”, pleads my three year-old daughter as I stand at the stove cooking dinner.

“Not right now, sweetie. The stove is hot and you could get burned.”

I see the disappointment in her eyes, so I pull out a can of frozen lemonade and ask her to help me mix it up. Her eyes light up with enthusiasm as I fill the pitcher and hand her the mixing spoon. She pulls a chair up to the counter and stirs like a pro. Some of the sticky sweetness finds it way onto the countertop. We wipe it up and she finishes her job. I praise her for being such a big helper, and at mealtime we all enjoy the fruits of her labor . She’s pleased that she got to help Mommy with dinner after all.

It’s not always this easy to accommodate the culinary curiosity of a little one. It takes time and patience to deal with the process – and the mess – that are a natural part of helping children in the kitchen. The good news is that with some planning and preparation it can be a fun and memorable experience for everyone involved.

1. Schedule your time in the kitchen.
It’s best to allow a large chunk of time for your cooking so that you are not rushed. Personally, I only venture into the kitchen with my children on days when we have nothing else going on. Cooking together is much more fun when Mom is relaxed and not thinking about the next thing that has to be done on her schedule. Working within a large block of time also helps me to be patient and not rush my fellow chefs.

2. Lay down some ground rules.
Make sure that your child understands the rules of your kitchen. For example, in our home our littlest ones are not allowed near the stove, oven, or any other hot surface. Also, I make sure to keep any sharp kitchen tools out of the reach of my preschooler. Finally, we always wash hands before we begin.

3. Dress for success.
Wearing old play clothes or one of Mom’s old t-shirts insures that you don’t have to worry about good clothes getting stained. This might not be a bad idea for Mom too! Many children enjoy wearing an apron of their own as well.

4. Choose the right equipment.
Try to use kitchen tools that will be easy for small hands to hold and work with. Instead of a large, heavy glass measuring cup, try individual, plastic measuring scoops that your child can use for easy pouring. My dream is to one day have an electric stand mixer because my hand-held version is very awkward (and messy) for a child to use. If you have any soft foods, such as bananas, that need to be chopped, let your child use a plastic, serrated knife to practice cutting skills.

5. Gather your supplies ahead of time.
Get all of the ingredients, cooking utensils, and any other supplies that you will need out onto your work surface before you begin cooking. Include your children in this part of the process if possible. Certain things like plastic mixing bowls, wooden spoons, and even some ingredients could be kept in lower cabinets so that your little ones can help to gather these items. There are certain things you might find necessary to keep out of reach even after you’ve started to work on a recipe. For example, if the bag of chocolate chip morsels is too distracting for your cooking buddy, give her a couple of them to munch on, and then put the bag out of sight until it’s needed.

6. Expect some mess.
Let’s face it. Cooking creates messes even when there is just one grownup in the kitchen. So there’s going to be some cleanup involved when cooking with your children. Using a disposable plastic tablecloth over your work surface can be helpful if you’re using dry ingredients such as flour and sugar. Keeping a trash as well as a couple of wet dish towels near your work area can also come in handy. Even though it might be easier to just do it yourself, try to teach your budding chefs how to clean up as you go along, and include them in the final cleanup when you’re finished cooking. If the idea of a mess really stresses you out, then try preparing something simple like fruit salad or peanut butter on celery sticks. You don’t have to bake cookies from scratch to have fun cooking with your child.

7. Don’t forget the learning.
There are countless opportunities for learning new concepts and skills in the kitchen. Counting, measuring, following directions, observing chemical reactions and changes (especially in baking), and learning new vocabulary words are just a few examples of concepts your child will pick up on naturally if you gently point out what’s being done while you’re having fun together.

8. Enjoy the moment.
If you happen to have control issues like me, then you might have to remind yourself to let the child do as much as possible in the cooking process. The recipe does not have to turn out perfectly in order for your little chef to have a sense of accomplishment. The most important thing is for everyone to have fun and make some great memories in the process.

9. Sharing the fruits of their labor.
Nothing pleases my children more than presenting their Daddy with whatever yummy treat they have worked so hard to prepare and then hearing his praise and encouragement. If possible, let your child share their culinary masterpiece with friends or family. Children like to know that their work is important.

Finally, there are many wonderful children’s cookbooks on the market, but you can also find terrific recipes to use with children by doing an internet search.

I hope that these ideas have inspired you to head into the kitchen with your little one to make some culinary memories.

Bon Appetit!

Shannon is wife to her handsome hubby of 11 years and Mom to three awesome children, ages 4, 6, and 8. She is thankful for the privilege of being a wife and mother and is continually amazed at how God uses those roles to teach her and grow her up in Him. She is in her fourth year of homeschooling her children and writes about those adventures, and whatever else comes to mind, at http://shannon-songofmyheart.blogspot.com/