TIP #45: GETTING YOUR KIDS INVOLVED! Allow your children to cook with you.

I'm constantly being asked how I'm able to get so much done with a 2 year old. I get so much done because of a couple of reasons.

1. I usually stay up really late after everyone goes to bed and/or I get up early in the morning before everyone else is up.
2. I'm organized.
3. I try not to schedule too many things during the day so we can do things at home.
4. I have an amazing husband!
5. But maybe the most important thing I do is involve Canaan in a lot of what I do. Not only does he know he's a helper but it makes him feel apart of what I'm doing. We both have a better time (and less stressed) when I take the time to involve him. Also it allows him to learn how to do things like cooking and cleaning (I hope his wife will appreciate me someday, LOL!) and in that it teaches him responsibility.

One way I include him in cooking is that Canaan gets to do something similar to what I'm doing.

For example, if I'm kneading and rolling out dough, I give him a ball of dough and he watches me do it, then he learns to do it. Either he's on a stool at the counter with me or in his booster up at the dinner table.

Another example, is blending something together. I know when he's older, he'll be able to mix it in a bowl, but for now, when I make meatloaf, he helps me put a smaller portion of the ingredients into a Ziploc bag. I seal it and he smooshes it all together. He knows not to open it because I tell him not to and I'm right there with him cooking too. When he's done blending the ingredients, I put it into a small pan or dish and he uses a fork to smoosh it down. I bake it. And when it comes out, he knows that's his that he made.

Yes, he's 2 years old but he's learning to cook...and it's fun!