Why do I cook with my toddler?

I have been asking myself that recently. Some days, more than others, LOL.

But here is the answer: because I love it. I love watching her learn a new skill (stirring, whisking, cracking eggs…). I love doing something special with her. Usually, it is just the two of us in the kitchen, and I like the shared experience.

When I have the time to cook, I have fun with it and I hope to teach Kiddo to love creating food as well. Everybody eats, and therefore, I believe that everyone should know how to cook. The earlier we start to learn a new skill, the more time we have to hone our craft — didn’t Serena Williams start playing tennis at 3 years old? I don’t think I am creating a master chef (but, it would be OK if that’s what ended up happening), but I do hope to create a competent cook.

I recently made a list of some of the things my daughter gets out of cooking with me.

She learns how to:

-mash, stir, whisk, pour, sift, roll dough, use a cookie cutter, crush crackers (OK, so maybe she already knew that one), scoop out seeds, crack an egg …

but also:

follow directions, make something others value, wait for her creation to come to fruition, feel proud of her accomplishments, try new dishes

And I get to:

see her smile, help her acquire new skills, watch as she improves, teach her new words, teach her to be patient, watch her become more confident (and clean up countless messes- it’s not all fun and games, but it is worth it for me).