Toddlers in the kitchen?....It can and should be done! WIP Wednesday!

Toddlers in the kitchen.

Yes!

I really feel this is so important.

I'm a strong believer that toddlers are the most impressionable creatures and we need to use it to our advantage!

If we push them away or don't allow them to engage, they will quickly lose interest. They will learn that the kitchen is a "bad" place or that they aren't wanted there.( or anywhere, but today, it's the kitchen)

I know from experience, this can cause them to yell repeatedly from another room until you leave the kitchen to find them and what they want!

(Mom, mom...Come here! Come to me!... Just, come here mom!!!)

I know, I'm guilty myself. We get tired, in a hurry, try to just get one meal finished without interruption, chaos and multi-tasking! And that is totally okay!!

I'm not saying they have to be attached to your hip for every single meal prep or underfoot  for every detail of the meal.

Find a time, meal and area that works for everyone. Prep work is a GREAT place to start with the littles!

If we really think about all that we put into each meal we fix for our families, we can find tons of little ways to get our kids involved. 

Teach them from the beginning how we decide,find a recipe, grocery list, shop, prepare or store the food, gather ingredients, pots, pans, etc. 

Think about it!...All this before we even get cooking!

These are great ways to teach our kids soooo many lessons.

Planning

Organizing

Shopping

Budget

Learning Plants, Veggies, Meats, etc

Reading a Recipe(for older kids)

Using Utensils properly

 Kitchen Hygiene

Kitchen Safety

Okay, sorry, I've gotten a bit off topic. I wanted to share a few ways I have introduced my toddler to the kitchen and how I let her help out.

1. Making decisions: 

What veggies will we have tonight?

How many potatoes will we need for 5 people?

Kids love being included in the decision making. They feel like their opinions matter(as they should). They like to feel important, just like you!

2. Gather Items:

Do you have a garden? Let them be a part of it!

Can you bring me a big spoon, whisk, bowl...?

They want to be and feel helpful.

Can you find the green peppers?

Let them show off what they know! Identifying is huge for toddlers!

3. Wash and Rinse:

This is important for you, them and the produce they will be handling!

Show them the proper way to wash their hands and any food they are helping prepare.

Get them their own scrubby brush. They will feel this is "their job" and be more willing if it is something you have entrusted them to do.

4:Cut and Peel

Obviously with supervision and caution!

I'm NOT saying turn your three year old loose with a meat cleaver!

My daughter actually uses her play/tea set "silverware" to help cut soft foods.(mushrooms, as seen in pic, grapes, cheese, tomatoes, etc)

Also, this could be a great way to teach smell, texture, taste

Why is the potato "bumpy"?

Can you smell the onion?

What does the carrot taste like raw?

Peeling oranges by herself  is HUGE in this house! She knows she can do it...and she DOES!

5: Putting items in a bowl, blender, pan

This is the part where they start seeing what this is going to be or what they are making.

Explain why we put A with B or why we need to "dump" everything together.

With veggies, let them see the different colors going into the dish. 

Can you name all the veggies we've used?

What colors do you see in our food?

6. Shake, Sprinkle, and Roll

This is should be the easy and funnest part!

What kid doesn't want to shake things up? Sprinkle a little LOT of cheese in the mix!

How many spices did we use?

How much cheese does it need?

Does it go on top of the dish or mixed in?

7. Stirring

They love to be hopped up on the counter top and given a wooden spoon or whisk!

I don't know why every kid I have ever met thinks this is the best part EVER of cooking or baking!

Just go with it Momma!

Unless it is eggs...

Let them stir, stir, stir their little hearts out!

p.s. D #3 wasn't quite sure about the mushrooms at first

What are you WIPping up today?

What is your Work in Progress?

#toddlersinthekitchen

Here is a great list of kid friendly recipes I found on Pinterest:

My Life and Kids

Momma Loves PBS Kids!

Are you tired of those annoying "kid" shows?

Ya know, the ones that are broadcast to entertain our youngsters. The ones that teach them nothing(good) and come with those catchy little intro theme songs that have your kids...and you hooked from the first 15 seconds.

Sure they are animated, loud, fast paced to keep kids watching, but are they learning anything from them. 

I mean other than, 

5 ways to annoy your sisters,

how to make a huge mess in the kitchen or any other place it isn't wanted,

How about the teasing, bullying, laughs at other's expense.

Or even down right gross, disgusting and quite disturbing(Sponge Bob comes to mind!).

 I've seen it all on "kids" shows. As, I'm sure most of us Mommas have.

It gets old quickly and very discouraging. We just want good, clean shows that will actual teach our littles and take some of the anxiety off of us to not have to constantly screen and re-screen every 30 minute program they watch.

I know I am a big stickler on what my kids watch. We have a list of "banned shows" in my house!

It's a real thing people!

 I'm not ashamed to admit, I need a break! I need 30 minutes of uninterrupted... Me time!

I need a HOT coffee that hasn't been reheated 4 times!

So, Yes, I use the TV as a babysitter!

*Gasp*

I'm waiting on the knock from CPS now......

*crickets chirping*

But, I do want my little to actually be learning something while being entertained!

I can honestly say that I have only positive things to say about PBS Kids! Any and all things about them are exactly what I am looking for.

They have soooo much to offer.

Here is a list of my Top 5 PBS KIDS "momma approved" TV programs!

1.Daniel Tiger Neighborhood~ love he teaches manners, caring for others, friendship and story time

2.Super Why~ story time and letter/word recognition, find the missing letter, etc

3.Word World~ So cute that each character is actually build/shaped out of the letters to spell it.(super cool)

4. Wild Kratts~ teaches about animals and nature, great adventures

5. Curious George~ I have to add George. He's super cute and I love the scientist/Doctor parts. They are very good at teaching about making things, baking and using your imagination.

PBS has so many ways to enjoy. Today anyone can use and share. They have TV shows, web games, apps, and even free PBS printables 

It is a great tool to keep kids learning and engaged in a fun, safe way!

I hope others will enjoy and help keep this oh so wonderful program alive for many more years to come!

Happy Teaching and Learning!

MY Preschool/Homeschool 101 (WIP) Learning together

Have you ever thought about Homeschooling?

Did you entertain the idea long before your little one was even old enough?

I have considered the idea for quite awhile. I have 3 daughters. They are quite spread out in age. 

19 years, 14 years and my littlest will be 4 next week!

Wow! 4 years old...NEXT WEEK!

I've been a stay at home momma and have always tried to do the basics, as most parents do. A,B,Cs..1,2,3s, write their name, know the colors and shapes, etc but I always feared they would be behind every other 5/6year old starting out in Kindergarten.

Can she count as high as Susie?

Does she read as well as Hailey?

Sure, I'll get daily or weekly reports from teachers and hopefully will be notified of any concerns throughout but, I'm not there to monitor their every lesson progress. Do we really know what they are being taught??? Or how they average out. I know here in Ohio there are crazy tests and requirements. Dates and data. Black and white score sheets to tell you and your government just how your child is fairing in the oh so wonderful public school systems.

I mean everything is based off of these scores. Teachers salaries, grant money, school supplies, etc.

Every day, every year this world gets crazier...scarier!

I honestly worry about whether my child will be taught based off of how much money and help her school receives! How sad is that?

And so many more concerns...

peer pressure, exposure, bullying..

Not that they live under a rock or won't have to live in the "real world" but I would like a good chance to explain and really teach them...My way? I don't know, just maybe give them a fighting chance before we throw them to the wolves!

I'm am an admitted control freak so maybe this is a somewhat selfish choice(I know I will hear it anyway). I do plan on educating myself before I jump in with both feet, but while I do still have almost 2 years(before Kindergarten) to figure this out; I am dipping my foot in the puddle to see how we do.

So, here is my pre-journey...

I am trying to find, research, save, pin, print and read anything and everything I can to get a good idea of what will be required of me, as a preschool/homeschool teacher!

There are so many wonderful resources out there today. This is one of the great uses of the internet!

Before, I jump into that, here is my super enthusiastic three year old, ready to learn!

Isn't she the cutest?

And she already has her own desk!!

My wonderful Mamaw has given us an antique desk. It is in wonderful condition!

I'm talking Laura Ingalls looking(ink well holder included) and it is amazing! She loves it!

Recourses:

I am trying to get started with a few free and basic printables and there are TONS on the web!

You can find whole lesson plans, themed plans(Christmas, Fall, Animals, etc), even personaliz-able worksheets to practice writing their name.

I'm telling you the free resources are endless!

Here are a few of my favorites that I have found.

From Pinterest:

Mommy Is My Teacher

Kingdom First Homeschool(Christian based)

Preschool Mom (great flash cards)

I also love these:

The Relaxed Homeschool

The Measured Mom

So, here we go on our homeschool journey.

I hope we can learn and thrive together. I will likely try to do a weekly update and continue to share any new resources that I find. 

Please!!!

Share any and all that you know of or come across. Mommas need all the help we can get!

I hope we can support and encourage each other!

Keep the coffee hot and the minds open!

This is my Work In Progress...Homeschooling

Happy Wednesday