Cooking with the Next Generation!

Wherever I am, my kids want to be. My city roots want to tell them to go play so Mommy can get some things done in the kitchen the quickest. But my home-centered homesteading heart knows they should be right next to me, learning the skills I was never afforded until I was 27! This is why I’ve learned to include my small children in the kitchen.

It is difficult at times to embrace the home-centered lifestyle I am so committed to. There are times when I don’t want to take the time to explain things or include my small children in tasks because I feel it is slowing me down. Each time this trigger button is pushed, I remind myself to surrender my current preferences and remember my long-term goals.

Our family vision is to build generational wealth. And no, my husband and I aren’t just focused on financial stability and independence, though that is part of the equation. We are building an entire skills portfolio for our children. This portfolio of wealth includes the homesteading skills we never had access to and the homemaking skills we were never taught.

The largest learning curve for me has been cooking at home and especially cooking from scratch. It is difficult to learn new skills. It takes a lot of mental focus and energy that is darn near impossible to have with young kids running around. Therefore, I do have boundaries in place and there are times that I don’t include my kids in the kitchen because I am not confident in my bandwidth to meet their needs and have a great time doing it. Generally this is when I am tackling a new-to-me recipe or skill.

Honestly, I still could do better at including my kids in learning alongside me with new recipes or cooking techniques. Over the last two years, however, I have gotten more proficient at inviting my children into the kitchen with me. This did take me ensuring I had the right expectations for the task at hand. I have to remember the most important thing is that my children are learning a new skill in a safe place, not that everything is done to perfection. These are the ten things I have learned since doing so.

https://ourcityfolkhomestead.com/ten-benefits-of-including-young-kids-in-the-kitchen/