Splatting Eggs With Chickadees Learning To Cook All On A Saturday Morning

It was the perfect morning for sleeping in which became the perfect morning for a family brunch.  As I raided the fridge and pantry for ingredients three of my chickadees came running into the kitchen as soon as they heard the sound of the first egg being cracked. They love to help crack the eggs. They love the slimy messy challenge I suppose.  I decided that it was a great day to let them each prepare their own scrambled eggs.  Our kitchen is on the smaller side, and lacks counter top space, but each child was able to find a spot.  I handed each child two eggs. And for the next few minuets the kitchen was a clamor of  careful taps and funny comments, which of course keeps me on my toes. 

The six year old missy: "eww it splatted on my toe" 

Me to the  five year old ninja: "careful don't just smash it" 

The nine year old investigator: "is the yellow where the chick was?" 

Me: "No, there was never a chick in these eggs."

"Well is that where the chick was going to happen?" 

Lol... that kid cracks me up!

Ahh... I love these moments of welcoming the kids into the kitchen to roll up their sleeve to and learn to cook.  Now I don't think any of them are going to be world class chefs.  They may not even enjoy cooking by the time they are adults.  This is okay, and pretty much besides the point. 

First off these cooking lessons provide us with fun memories.  While we cook we get to know each other more intimately.  I gain a deeper understanding of my children's perspective of the world, and the way they think about life. We learn to get dirty, make mistakes, fix mistakes, and laugh at our selves.  Cooking together helps us to develop family tradition.  I know there are many people who cringe at the "T word".  Yet tradition is such an important aspect to our feeling nurtured, secure, and understood.  Tradition connects us as a family and gives us some roots which are passed down to the next generation. 

Secondly they learn to be self sufficient.  They learn how to care for their own basic needs, they can cook eggs, boil noddles, make sandwiches, bake cookies, mold Jello, chop fruit for fruit salad (yummy yummy) and so on.  They won't starve nor will they solely have to rely on the microwave and the frozen food isle.  Allowing the kids to contribute in the kitchen also encourages them to try new foods, as they can develop their own "recipes".  My kids have a song they sing every time they make something "new". 

Working in the kitchen develops problem solving skills.  What do you do when the noddles don't end up in the pot of boiling water, but poor all over the stove instead?  They learn what "don't panic" means.  Cooking develops level headedness, awareness, and strategy.  They also learn how to fan at the smoke alarm when it beeps obnoxiously. 

Lastly and most importantly all the lessons learned in our little old kitchen is going to be useful to my chickadee's in their God given vocations later in life.  Working along side of me and each other in teaches us how to care for others.  Cooking most often is something that brings you outside of yourselves, done in care for someone else.  Our cooking lessons encourage my kids to learn and perceive the needs of others.  There is great joy and comfort in this.  As we learn to serve and care for others we learn to depend on the blessings of Jesus our Savior.  

These times are good for me as mommy as well.   Letting my kids do some of the cooking definitely helps to beat back that inner control freak!  It engages me in my vocation of rearing them into adults.  Mothering is not just waiting and doting on the kids hand and foot.  I can't just hover over them all the time.  I have to teach them.  It hard on mommy's  hearts to watch them grow up, from babies and hip clinging toddlers.  Yet are blessing hidden in the act of rearing them and teaching them with each new season. Teaching them these skills like cooking and cleaning builds their confidence.  It also helps them understand who they are as a children of God.  Work is a good thing for our identity.  God blesses us in our work, even kiddos.  Is all of  this painful? Yes! Does it require a lot of patience, mercy, and forgiveness!! Yes yes yes!   However, teaching them to fend for themselves, offers comfort and reward when you realize they are eager and willing to fly from the nest, and you can take a deep breath and say to yourself "they will be okay." 

And perhaps another benefit will be breakfast in bed next Saturday!