This post is sponsored by Syndicate and IKEA
Now that Mazen is three, we have more opportunities than ever for him to help out in the kitchen. He loves flipping pancakes, stirring batters, cracking eggs, working the blender buttons, spinning lettuce, massaging kale, rolling dough, sprinkling cheese, seasoning and salting and oiling potatoes. As he gets older, we hope this list will continue to grow.
IKEA is on a mission to change the way parents and children interact in the kitchen. I love what they have recognized about how the kitchen is an ideal place for parents and kids to play while they work – two birds, one stone.
“But instead of being a place run by rules, the kitchen should be a place for coming together – without fear of mess and scolding. IKEA’s Life At Home Report finds that nearly half of all parents feel a lack of time to play with their children. Naturally, most feel guilty about this. Simultaneously, most children lack basic food knowledge and cooking skills, simply because parents fear the mess and stress that comes from letting them into the kitchen.”
This second video outlines the 5 rules for cooking with parents –
“What’s wrong with being messy?” <– That’s one I’m trying to work on!!
Recently Mazen and I made some granola together. He loves the process of dumping things in a bowl.
You know what lesson was learned? If you almost burn your granola because you’re playing dinosaur in the living room it will be OK. It’s the journey not the destination ; )
Figgy Chia Granola
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups oats
- 1/2 cup each almonds walnuts, chia
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup figs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Mix dry ingredients minus figs.
- Add wet ingredients and mix well.
- Pour granola on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
- Bake for 20 minutes, stirring twice.
- When granola is cool, add chopped figs.
- Store in an air-tight container.
What are your favorite kids cooking lessons?
This post was sponsored by Syndicate and IKEA
Amanda says
I love this! It’s so important to involve kids in the kitchen. I was watching Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead 2 on Netflix the other day, and they were discussing how much more likely kids are to want to eat vegetables when they were able to help prepare them.
Caitlin says
Oh I love to cook with Henry but it gets so messy. I think it’s a good way to develop fine motor skills. I like to bake most of all because then I get to eat cookies…
Paula says
My boys are 42 and 45 now and both love to cook. I don’t remember what I did to instill that in them. They may have inherited the love from my Dad. I did show them how to do things and they were in charge of getting beans snapped for canning or corn husked for the freezer because back then I was a stay at home mom and times were different. My proudest moment came when they were 13 and 16. We had left them home alone while we went camping in the mountains. Yes it was legal and yes, they knew how to get up and get ready for school. We also had very nosy neighbors. I called every night to check on them. One night I asked what they were doing. The youngest said they were cutting up a chicken to fry and making mac and cheese. I knew then that we had raised them right. They are now healthy, productive people with kids of their own, who love to cook. I think now we put too much emphasis on kids participating in activities and not time spent doing family activities, which means cooking and cleaning too.
KathEats says
That is such a sweet story!
RunEatRepeat says
I’m obsessed with granola. Is it the worst if I make this and eat it all in one go? Because I will.
florak says
Our gang are a bit older: 6,8,10 and 12 and I really struggled with the mess factor…biting my tongue as they poured sprinkles unevenly (UNEVENLY) on cakes…licking spoons…(and don’t get me started on decorating the Christmas tree…)but I read a sad article about a woman who kept her home perfect and did not let her child cook or display his art on the walls etc…the son died and she said she wished she could have one day back and to have that mess and chaos back…it really struck a chord with me…
Anyway, on most Saturday nights our kids are in charge of dinner. They look through recipes,make a list, we go shopping and I give them money to buy the ingredients they need (while I pretend not to watch), they cook- the older ones doing the stove parts and the youngest being a sort of commis chef…they even draw up a menu and lay the table! It does make a LOT of mess (stage 2 is getting them to clean up after …!!) but they get so excited to serve us and we have had some great and some “interesting” dinners!!
KathEats says
That is so sweet!!
Annie says
This granola sounds great — I looove all things fig. My main takeaway was wait, Mazen is really 3!? I mean, i remember your birthday party post, but this really hit it home for me that I’ve been reading your blog for 4 years. He’s so grown up!
Hannah @ Eat, Drink and Save Money says
We are all about the mess over here! Last Christmas, my then one and a half year old loved mixing all the holiday baking ingredients. I would put a bunch of oatmeal, flour, sugar, and milk on the ground for him to mix and stir. Then we’d bake them after the real cookies just to see how they turned out. Some of them weren’t too bad!
Melissa | HerGreenLife says
The another night, my four-year-old helped assemble veg-heavy pasta salads. We sat down to eat, and he was clearly very proud of our creation, exclaiming, “How did we make this taste so good?!?” Being in the kitchen together is definitely quality time! I also need to work on conquering fear of the mess, though :-/
Susan says
Cute comments – I now have grandkids, but food and cooking have always been part of who I am. As a result, my grown up kids enjoy cooking/baking too. I love the holiday baking and the kids helping with all of that. Learning to clean up is helpful, but obviously, not the point. I think I see you creating a “kids cookbook…” Happy Holidays!
Sarah says
Exactly what I’m trying to do with my kids. I have noticed that when they are involved in the preparation, they appreciate it more. It’s like killing two birds with one stone – you bond with your kids and make something delicious at the same time. Win-win!