Not so long ago my older one would sit on the Kitchen counter while I'd cook.He'd play with the dough while I'd be making chappatis.He'd often ask to shell eggs,peel potatoes,demand that he use the knife or light the fire. From the time he learnt to walk he'd often find me in the kitchen,tug at my skirt and insist upon being sat on the counter.There'll be times when I'd pull him up 'cos there'd be nonone in the house he had as a companion to play with.So,we'd turn our kitchen space into a story-telling time or just unwinding time.There'd be fun times and there'd be exasperating times when I'd have no patience with the kid. But all that fell away with time and I'm so glad they did.(With my younger one I'm so much more mellowed and wiser.)When he was 4 he even kneaded some dough and made his first chapati with that which he called India- Roti and learnt about the 3 states of matter when he insisted on making lemonade and putting it in the freezer to see what happened to it.We'd often make all kinds of sherbets and place in the freezer.It used to get intolerably messy but inexplicably joyful. Just how or when all these rituals became natural for us we don't know.
When he grew older,he'd often pull the dinning chair in the kitchen and tell me about how his day went at school watching me cook simultaneously while I'd help him with his school work.Proud to say that now he doesn't need that kind of help from me anymore.But he often drops in out of curiosity and checks what's cooking or just pilfers stuff from the kitchen -cupboard when I'm taking my afternoon siesta.Part of growing up I'd say.He's growing big and needs more food!
He still asks for the dough though and competes with his little brother,six years younger on who's made a better dinosaur.Sweet!
The other day he n I were watching'Fabulous Cakes' togeher on TLC and he didn't insist on changing the channel.I was pleasantly surprised.He likes the deftness with which those people use their tools and likes to watch it,he said.We discussed about whose cake turned out the best later.We watch 'Nigellissima' together and discuss about whether 'getting inspired' is an emotion when he sees me leaping to the kitchen after the show and announce that there's something outlandish for dessert like 'Creme Brulee'
or something. He! I like to look and sound really cosmopolitan when I do that,it gives me a high! :)
Now he's graduated to making dahi-papadi on his own,which he bites more than he can chew quite literally,prepares his tea and mine as a privilege assignment,all of 10, cooks Maggi and toasts his own bread when he's hungry.He'd remind me to put on my baking gloves when I'm handling the hot tray in OTG or warn me that's its on the Power 'on' mode for too long.He'll make note of the level at which the batter is filled in the cupcake casings and suggest me an alternative to the topping I've planned for that particular time.
I reckon that this is a part of his problem-solving temperament which has been passed on to him from his Dad but is greatly aided by partaking in tasks like the above where he can apply this wonderful disposition.
Including children while cooking hones their fine motor skills say while kneading the dough,using the rolling pin ,cutting,peeling the egg-shells, picking up things.It goes a long way ahead,particularly improves their handwriting which we parents are so worried about.They inadvertently learn about sequence of things,what comes after what,temperature(hot,warm,cold,lukewarm),texture,rough,soft,smooth,coarse etc. The law of cause and effect;if you do this ,this will happen,counting numbers,shapes,measurements,tidiness,hygiene.You can work on their organisational skills while building their vocabulary all along.Cooking along with children makes them get involved with family like no other job does.They love it.They get creative,imaginative and get to know their palate.We tend to keep technology and kitchen out of bounds for children.That should not be so. It helps in interdisciplinary learnings .Most importantly,it makes them happy esp. if you are cooking something of their choice.
