Cooking with Infants to Pre-Schoolers

Assalamu’alaikum & Marhaba!

I find cooking dinner the most stressful part of the day.  I am usually rushing so that I can feed the kids, bathe them, and have them in bed early.  And most of the time, my kids tend to be the least cooperative at this point.  I always aim for it to be their “free play” time with their blocks or legos, but it never seems to go quite as I imagine.  Lately, I have been finding ways to get them both involved with special tasks to help.  Here are some tips for moms who need to get a meal on the table.

Layaan helping me pan fry a fish fillet.

Infants

Before my kids could crawl, the bouncer was my best friend, for others it could be the swing, and who knows what other contraptions are out there now. We were pretty tight on money when we had my first, so the only fancy thing our bouncer did was vibrate.  Basically, I would make some funny faces, shake the baby toys, bounce it a few times, go back to my cutting board, and repeat until I finished.  I pretty much looked like a mad woman running around the kitchen.

Muhammad at 1 month old in his bouncer in the kitchen while I cook.

After they became more mobile, I kept the cabinets that were accessible baby-friendly with pots, pans, plastic tupperware, empty cans, and anything else that was safe and interesting.  For little ones, being in the same vicinity as you may be enough, and other times they may want you to take a five minute break and bang some empty plastic bins with them.  You could pop them in the high chair with some yoghurt to make “art” or  place water and toys in a bin on a large towel.  Sensorial activities for infants are the best distraction, especially in the kitchen where the mess can be easily cleaned.

Layaan at 12 months old.

Other times, if they were particularly clingy, I would just pop them into the carrier and sing or have conversations while cooking.  I did my best not to use technology as a distraction, though I was tempted to.

Toddlers & Pre-Schoolers

Once they hit the latter toddler years, it can begin to get a little tough to keep them entertained and out of your way.  They are far more curious and want to do whatever you are doing.  To solve this issue, I figured why not just let them actually help.

Layaan rinsing the mushrooms after washing off the dirt from the fresh spinach.

Here are a list of easy and difficult tasks the kids can assist with.  You may be surprised by how helpful they can actually be.  I know I was!

Easy Tasks

• Washing spoons/plastic dishes
• Rinsing & scrubbing vegetables and fruits
• Bringing & returning items from the fridge/cabinets
• Using a dull edged knife (kid-friendly) to slice soft fruits/veggies
• Mixing dry ingredients
• Pouring dry ingredients
• Counting ingredients
• Mashing

 

Layaan peeling cooled tomatoes for a homemade tomato sauce.  Muhammad, in the background, helping to rinse veggies and wash utensils and dishes.

Challenging Tasks

• Washing dishes
• Pouring wet ingredients
• Mixing wet ingredients
• Measuring
• Mixing food on the stove
• Slicing/chopping with sharp edge
• Peeling
• Grating
• Sifting
• Rolling
• Using a mortar & pestle

Layaan chopping the mushrooms.

Cooking is a great way to help build vocabulary, math skills, practice fine motor skills, sensorial development, and following directions.  Muhammad (23 months) and Layaan (3 yrs, 10 months) learn the names of the different vegetables, ingredients, and kitchen tools in all three languages (English, Arabic, and Urdu).  Throughout the cooking process, we pause to feel the texture, note the different colors and smells, and so on.  In a fun and practical way, I ask them to count the ingredients, or bring me certain amounts.

Layaan mixing the tomato sauce.

Through the real life experience of cooking, we can touch upon a number of skills in a tangible way.  This concrete learning will pave the path to more abstract concepts later on.  It also teaches them healthy habits, responsibility, and life skills.  The added bonus, both my kids are always more willing to eat what they helped me make.

Spinach and mushroom pasta with chunky tomato sauce prepared and cooked by Layaan & Muhammad with adult supervision by Mom.

So get cooking, and share your experiences down below!

 

Busy Bags

Assalamu’alaikum & Marhaba!

Spring break is here and many of you are preparing to use this time for a small getaway!  Busy bags are the best!  I love that they are a great alternative to screen usage.  There are some really great ideas out there on Pinterest and other blogs.  It is super easy to make them and they are life savers on any trip.  Here are some highlights from the busy bags we have been using on our most recent trips.

Busy bags, coloring book, reading book, and backpack.

Arctic Sensorial Bin

Assalamu’alaikum & Marhaba,

We are going to wrap up our winter theme soon.   Layaan, Muhammad, and I made an arctic sensorial bin using fake snow and arctic animals together.  I also printed out nomenclature cards of the animals in Arabic to match with the toys.  This activity is perfect for all age groups.  You can make it as easy and as challenging as you need for the child’s age.