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PB
&Js, and Licking the Bowl — The
Joys of a Kid Friendly
Kitchen!
by Pamela Cole Harris
Remember
licking the bowl when you were a kid? Or
making your own peanut butter sandwiches
with grape, or better yet
strawberry,jelly? Mmmmm…the smell of
homemade oatmeal cookies! And they were
even better because you knew you helped
make them! Kitchens can be a place of
special memories for kids of any
generation. Are you building those
memories with your children or do you view
the kitchen as a dangerous place for kids?
You can make your kitchen a kid friendly,
memory-intensive space by:
- Having
a small table where kids can work on
projects when you are working in the
kitchen.
- Having
a selection of unbreakable bowls,
measuring cups and mixing spoons
which fit in small hands stored on a
low shelf or in a low cabinet within
reach of your child. Let your child
know that these are his or her
special cooking tools. Personalize
them with colored markers.
- Paint
a small stool in bright colors to
keep where your child can reach it.
- Designate
a place where you will keep snacks
that your children can eat anytime.
Use a special drawer, shelf, basket
or box. Keep it stocked with
raisins, juice packs, granola bars,
trail mix or fruit.
- Buy
a set of alphabet or number magnets
or sets of easy word magnets for the
refrigerator. Kids can learn to
spell, create sentences or do math
while helping in the kitchen.
Paint a section of the kitchen wall
with chalkboard paint or hang a
large chalkboard within your
child’s reach. Supply colored
chalk and let your child draw to
his/her heart’s content!
Use your computer, scanner and
printer to put together a kid’s
cookbook. Explore easy recipes with
your kids and feature their art and
comments on each page. Not only will
it help your child learn to cook,
but it will be a treasured keepsake
for you!
- Let
your child help in small ways at
first, then add more complicated
tasks when he or she grows older and
more adept. Some tasks you can begin
to teach your youngest children:
Stirring (cookie or cake dough is
the most fun for kids! Ahh…the
anticipation!)
- Washing
fruit or veggies
- Measuring
ingredients (have them measure over
a paper towel. There will be less
mess!
- Decorating
cookies with sprinkles, raisins,
small tubes of icing, chocolate
chips (I bet some disappear before
they make it to the cookie!)
Make certain you eliminate cluttered
or overloaded electrical outlets in
your kitchen. They are dangers to
both kids and adults.
- Don’t
let your kids wear clothing with
loose fitting sleeves. They could
catch fire if they get too close to
a burner or they could catch on
items left on countertops.
- When
you take something hot out of the
oven, or if you have a hot pot on
the stove, make sure you turn the
handle away from the edge of the
stove or set the pan away from the
edge of counter where your child
can’t reach up to grab the hot
surface and pull it down.
- Keep
a kitchen fire extinguisher nearby
along with emergency numbers for
fire departments, poison centers,
physicians,hospitals, police and
sheriff’s
department.
With a
little thought, your kitchen can become
the room that deepens the bond of caring
between you and your child. Caring and
chocolate chips! What more could a kid
want? __________
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