Zach has always loved watching me cook. As an itty bitty baby he'd be in his bouncy seat in the kitchen while I cooked dinner. He loved watching us mix his bottles (he went strait to formula). When he got older, he'd sit in his high chair and watch me cook dinner. On Sunday mornings he sat in his high chair watching me cook and puree all of his food for the week. I made his food. When he grew out of the high chair I used to close the french doors keeping him in the living room while I cooked dinner (he never was bad about getting in my way with breakfast and lunch but dinner was a "let me get in there" situation, the fun thing to watch). No matter what meal I was cooking or what was on the stove he wanted to be held so he could see what I am/was doing. He liked(s) watching the transformation from uncooked to cooked. He used to scream and cry when he was put in the living room so after about a month of that I let him in the kitchen and started teaching him about how the oven was hot when I cook and that he could watch from the table. That's when he was starting to be curious about the stove/oven. He's always had this interest in how things are made (not just food).
When looking through the Y's class list for Fall I saw a "Little Explorers" class in the kitchen for 2 - 3 year olds. This time I decided on Gym (all year so he learns that school can be all year before preschool next year) and a Music class. There are three sessions this year (used to be like 5 during the school year). Next session the second class will be the cooking class but in the meantime I decided to let him help and start learning from Mommy about cooking, preschool style!
It started last Tuesday with mashed potatoes. At family dinner last Tuesday I was mashing the potatoes and Zach was watching. With Daddy (or it may have been Grandma) holding him I gave him the hand masher (not electric) and showed him how to do it. Walla! Mashing is fun!!! I decided to let him help with the pancakes on Sunday morning. I measured, he poured (I did the egg though) and he mixed a little then helped add blueberries. He clearly had fun. Now when I make something I try to find something he can help with, even if it's small.
Yesterday we had a fire alarm issue at the apartment so we slept at Grandma and Pop's house. Grandma had been craving blueberry pancakes so this was a great morning to make them. Zach helped her too. (For those wondering, I had called the fire department but there wasn't a fire. I'll save that for a future post).
When I was about Zach's age my mom got a phone call on Christmas cookie baking day. It seemed there would be more crowding at that mixing bowl in a few years since it was her doctor telling her she was pregnant with my brother. That won't be happening to me this year though. Yes that makes me sad. But it's countered by the joy of knowing that Zach is old enough to help this year. My mom and I joked while making those pancakes that it will take WAY longer then usual but be WAY more fun. My mom had such a big smile while he poured, she said she forgot how much fun cooking with a preschooler can be.
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