Baking was a hobby of mine before I had kids. Then life got busy and I put it on the side. I valued sleep, over baking at that time. Now that my kids are a little older I wanted to get back baking! I’m excited that they’re old enough to come into the kitchen with me. We’ll be able to create these precious memories together!
My boys are full of energy. I love that about them but it can make it hard to work with the kitchen. Here are a few ways I’ve made it manageable to bake with them!
Figure Out What Your Boundaries Are
Let your kids know what you expect from them. This isn’t just for safety these are also your preferences to keep your sanity. Some things we had problems with were bringing toys in the kitchen, touching all the ingredients, and taking out every kitchen tool they could get their hands on. These are things that drove me crazy and I let them know that it wasn’t acceptable.
Go Over the Rules and Processes First
Before we start I go over the safety rules with them. Since my boys are young they don’t know the obvious things such as the oven is hot or why it’s important to listen extra carefully in the kitchen. We go over those things every time. My oldest knows the rules now and the younger two are catching on! We also go over the process of things so they know what is going to happen. They know they’ll get a turn to mix but I’ll need to do the cutting. This way they expect it and hopefully, there are fewer tantrums!
Know What You’re Getting Yourself Into
Whenever we bake I know that it might not turn out and I’ll have extra to clean up after. Even when I’ve thought there was no way they could make a mess out of something they have. Now I mentally prepare for it. So when the flour spills or sprinkles are everywhere I don’t freak out.
Think About What You Want From This Experience
For me, I know it’s creating memories with my boys. With that in mind, I let go of my Pinterest expectations of what it’ll look like. I let go of my Instagram worthy idea of how my kids should look while we baked. And started to relax. It was okay if we had we add a little too much sugar or an egg was accidentally cracked on the counter. I don’t want their memories to be full of yelling and having to bake with me becomes a punishment. For us, it is just for fun. If it turned out horrible we can throw it away and try again. No biggie! If they piled all the frosting onto the cake and insisted on not having me touch it, it may not be the prettiest but they’re proud of their work. Maybe that’s not what you’re looking for you’re trying to teach your kids to make the perfect cake or have beautiful decorations. That’s fine too! Just know what you want to get out of this so you can work accordingly.
Know What’s Appropriate For Your Child
All kids are different besides their ages; they all have strengths and weaknesses. I try to play up my kids’ strengths and work on their weaknesses. For example, cracking an egg. Blake, the oldest, can crack an egg on his own. It’s something we worked on. It took a while since he’d get eggshells in there or he’d tap it too soft than too hard. Eventually, he got the hang of it! Zack, the middle, requires help. I try to give him as many opportunities as I can to work on this. If Blake does it, I’ll talk Zack through what Blake is doing. Jake is still really young and I know he’s nowhere near ready for this. Instead, I’ll let him pour the egg into the mix. They can all help but I try to make sure what I’m asking them to do is appropriate for each child.
Work on Skills They’re Learning
My oldest is learning measurements right now. So when we measure ingredients we go over fractions while we bake. It only takes a few seconds and most of the time he doesn’t mind it! My middle loves colors so we use food coloring to color a lot of things and practice our color mixing and colors while we do it. The littlest works on his fine motor skills mixing and decorating. I also have them talk about what’s going on and why they think certain things happen. They are all much more willing to answer questions when we’re doing something fun!
Make Sure You Have Enough Tools
Since we have three kids their biggest complaint is always having their spoon. Even though they’re taking turns mixing they all want their spoon. If you use a certain tool regularly it may be easier to buy multiple tools then have them fight over the same one every time.
Look at the Recipe Ahead of Time
This simple step was a game-changer for me. Before I get everyone excited about baking I look at the recipe. I check to make sure it’s something that they can help with and isn’t too complicated. I make sure we have the ingredients. It’s not fun when you realize that you don’t have eggs and you’re frantically looking up an egg alternative while your kids are complaining and getting antsy. To help me make sure I have everything I’ll take
Clean Up As You Go
I try my best to clean up as we go. If we spill flour on the counter I’ll quickly wipe it up. As they stir I’ll do a few dishes. By doing a little cleaning and not letting things get too out of hand I don’t feel as overwhelmed and cleaning up at the end is quick!
Looking for a fun way to decorate your creations. Here are a few ways I’m mindful and keep our baking decorations in check!
If you’re looking for a fun and cute recipes to do with your kids be sure to check out Mochi Mommy’s Kid Friendly Polar Bear Cupcake!
I hope these tips have helped you! Do you have any other tips? Please leave it in the comments!