There are lots of life skills that can be realized when you encourage your little ones to help with the washing up, putting away leftovers, unloading the dishwasher, peeling or choping vegetables, tidying up the fridge or pouring a glass of juice.
Kitchen activities such as meal prepping, cooking and clean up can be a
fun and positive experience for everyone involved. However, it’s important that you start by explaining that the kitchen is an exciting place to be,
but accidents can happen.
A. Pick a time of day when your child is most likely to be interested and co-operative.
B. Plan the activity in advance based on what you think your child will enjoy and take the time to consider appropriate adjustments for potential sensitivities or behaviours.
C. Keep dangerous objects out of reach by ensuring that the kitchen is set up to keep things like knives, breakables and cleaning products out of reach.
D. Teach stove safety and if necessary, cover plug sockets and unplug
unused appliances.
E. Wipe up spills right away to avoid extra mess, slips or falls.
F. Prepare, set up and think about your child’s role in the activity in advance so they don’t get bored, frustrated or anxious.
G.Have fun!
