Wednesday, September 29

Children in the Kitchen

Ok... as most everyone knows, I love cooking and more importantly I loooooove eating. I find cooking, stress relieving and eating yummy food excites me... especially if it's good and I've cooked it! The reality is, Nate is a "meat and potatoes" kind of guy and my kids would eat chicken nugget and french fries every night of the week.

Bringing my kids into the kitchen was a strategical move that I hoped would not only bring some excitement and willingness on my kids part to try new things, but that they would also share in the awesomeness!

Welp, Wesley has a textural issue  when it comes to getting things on his hands (my first experience with this was when he use to crawl UP the slide with his elbows when he was two), and his gag reflex is oober sensitive and an always first response to anything he thinks is going to be gross.
Now Calvin being 2 years old, he's at the age where he loves to help, but his help isn't so much help as it is more work. And when he doesn't get his way of being able to do what he wants (stir what's hot, crack the egg, or something less suitable for a 2 yr old to do) he spits in whatever it is I'm making... in turn, this usually causes Wesley to gag and be done with the whole process all together.
The first attempt of making supper either disgusts or satisfies the kids interest in helping and leaves me to start from the beginning again. By this time the kid's are ready to eat and are complaining and crying about starving to death and Joey is just waking up from her second nap of the day... hungry.

The process of preparing dinner in a timely fashion is now stressful and un-enjoyable and the kids still prefer chicken fingers! (Booooo!!!)
Well I'm taking back the reigns of my kitchen and what I love most about it... Cooking food I love to eat!! And tonight I made homemade shrimp & artichoke pesto linguine.

I still encouraged the kids to help with some minor adjustment like simply starting an hour earlier (leaving room for error) and lowering my expectations to the kids eating something more exciting then Pasta/butter/salt. I distracted Calvin with a pile of flour while doing the things that were best suited for myself and Wesley checking out after feeling he had washed his hands enough for it to now be annoying.
I think it's safe to say that tonight was a Children in the Kitchen success and I got to enjoy the experience of cooking with them, but not compromising the rewards of having a new and delicious meal for myself to indulge in the end!

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