KIDS in the kitchen:

This MOTHER'S DAY, let your children show how much they care by lending a hand with Mom's BREAKFAST IN BED.

Source: Northwest Florida Daily News (Fort Walton Beach, FL)
Publication Date: 05/09/2007
COPYRIGHT 2007 Northwest Florida Daily News
Byline: Angie Toole



May 9--As Mother's Day draws near, it's time to prepare for a beloved tradition of that day: making Mom breakfast in bed. And you can get the youngest members of the family ready to do their part without resorting to a bowl of Fruit Loops.

Really, you can.

Elena Roser, director of the Children's Day Montessori School in Valparaiso, says they have even the youngest preschoolers helping at mealtime.

Of course, you want to supervise what's going on, but Roser said a child can help with just about anything.

"They can cut the fruit with a safety knife, pour juice, even crack eggs and beat them," she said. "It's all a matter of scaling things to their level so they can do things successfully."

Having kids help in the kitchen, even after Mother's Day is over, isn't just the gift that keeps on giving as far as Mom's concerned: It's good for the kids, too.

"Letting kids help is absolutely necessary. Children need to be doing real productive activities, so they learn about sharing and contributing to the family and ultimately to the community," she said. "Having children in the kitchen is a priceless opportunity for kids to participate."

Parents find it pays off in more ways than having food on the table, she added.

"You find when kids have that kind of ownership of what goes on in the family, you don't have a power struggle as much as when parents make choices for them. Being able to do things empowers them," Roser said. "If a child feels like he can make decisions on an ongoing basis, like what clothes to wear, what he's going to prepare for a meal, within a range of reasonable limits, the child is empowered. He doesn't feel like he has to challenge every other opportunity."

Lisa Calhoun, family nutrition program coordinator for the local county Extension Service, advises that making a meal for Mom would also be a perfect time to teach a little bit about food safety.

"Common-sense things, like making sure their hands are clean, teaching them not to use a cutting board to cut fruits or vegetables after cutting up meats, keeping pets out of the kitchen when preparing food and putting things like eggs and milk in the refrigerator right after using it instead of letting it set out, are all important lessons," she said. Kileen Sartin, recreation assistant at Destin Community Center, will be leading a camp session on cooking this summer, and she's assisted in teaching kids to cook for the past few years. For older kids, she believes that even fairly demanding recipes are possible and even have a lot of potential for fun if they are broken down and explained by an adult and someone -- that means you, Dad -- is there to help them through the adventure. "The sad thing is how (few) mothers take time to make breakfast with their kids, much less teach them how to make things," Sartin said. "Making time to do that is just awesome." She has seen fewer and fewer older kids who have experience in the kitchen, and she hopes to do her part to change that. "When we get them in the kitchen. They're really excited. They love it," she said.