All mothers, for sure, remember the time when the baby begins to actively explore the world around him and develops its activities simultaneously in all corners of the house: just that mother has taken away a knife from the crumbs, and he already pulls a shoe into her mouth; when the shoes were removed in the closet, the fidget had already studied the mechanism for closing the doors. Parents are most afraid that the baby does not cut, does not grab anything dangerous, does not hurt, does not hit and does not burn. And, as a result, mom usually has no time to do anything around the house, because all the time she watches her little explorer. But there is a solution: allow children to cook, help to wash and clean. So, firstly, you will have time to do homework, secondly, the child will always be there, and, thirdly, you can combine household chores and developmental activities for the crumbs.
But, nevertheless, most parents do not allow their little helpers to the kitchen. What are they afraid of and how to make the process of teaching the child cooking as safe as possible?
Parents are worried that their little cook could be cut. But in fact, the risk of cutting yourself in adults is much higher than in children. After all, the first cut with a sharp knife and quickly. And the kid needs to be given a plastic or table knife, which, due to lack of experience, he will cut very carefully and slowly. However, this does not prevent you from telling your child about the potential danger of a knife, so you need to take this table item in your hands carefully and in the presence of adults.
If the baby is fascinated by the oven, in which, to his amazement, simple pieces of dough turn into mouth-watering buns, then you can not only try to tell how this sacrament occurs, but also warn you that the oven is very hot and can burn. Bring the palm of your child to a safe distance from the oven, let him feel how much heat comes from him.
Children cook very slowly, interfere and get underfoot. Of course, you need to be prepared for the fact that your assistant will complicate the well-established culinary process at first. But in any case can not be angry at the child. Remember that at this stage you are laying a relationship to cooking, perhaps for life. Therefore, it is important to praise the crumb and cheer, but praise must have a reason. For example, if your daughter a year cut potatoes for borsch with large pieces, then it deserves encouragement, but if she cut also in three years, there is nothing to praise the young chef. Ask her to cut the potatoes smaller, and upon reaching the desired result, evaluate her work positively.
Especially important for a child is dad's praise. A father must “taste” the dish that the children were cooking and thank them for their work. The realization that the father’s dinner depends on the baby not only enhances the self-esteem of the crumbs, but also the sense of responsibility, consciousness, will give a sense of importance and social significance.
Will have time to get ready. Some mothers do not want to allow children to cook, because they believe that they still need to play enough. Of course, if you turn cooking into daily hard labor or duty, then it is better to let the child play at this time. But if you explain, or even better, by your own example, show the fumes that cooking is a very fun and creative process, then you can instill in your child a love of cooking for life.
