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Cooking is fun and a great skill to have. Anyone can cook even a toddler! Cooking with your toddler encourages them to try new foods, experiment with measurement, and practice skills such as stirring and scooping. With a little patience, you can have a successful time cooking with your toddler!

Don't attempt to make a multi-step recipe for your first attempt at cooking with your toddler, try to find something that both you and your child enjoy eating. Even better, have your toddler help you decide what you are going to cook together! This will encourage your young one to eat what you cook, and want to help cook in the future. When your child feels that they are part of the decision making, they feel more in control of the situation. This is a great opportunity to create positive feelings toward cooking in your toddler!

Make sure to have all your ingredients ready to use before starting to cook. If your toddler has his heart set on cooking chocolate chip cookies but you have no butter, this could lead to an upsetting situation. Go over your recipe with your toddler and have them help you gather all the ingredients you need. This will help to make your cooking project go smoothly.

While cooking with your toddler, make sure to take time out to taste and smell your ingredients!
Don't be tempted to rush through your cooking project. Your toddler's senses are developing, and allowing time to explore the different smells, tastes, and textures will only enhance your child's senses.
It's also great fun to think about how all the ingredients work together to make your finished product!

Let your toddler do the measuring. You might need to help by holding a measuring cup while your toddler pours in the ingredient, but make sure to allow your child to understand the concept that you can't just dump everything together and mix it up! Measurement is part of math and the earlier you start letting your toddler explore the concept, the easier it is to grasp latter in their development.

Try not to take over the cooking process. Allow your toddler to mix ingredients without being concerned of the mess that will be made and there will be a mess! Little people have little hands and aren't as strong as we are.
Some things might not stay the mixing bowl! Keeping everyone's hands clean allows toddlers to use their hands while mixing or adding ingredients.
Make sure to stay positive and calm, and work together.

Don't put too much pressure on the finished product. Even if you are cooking lasagna and it looks more like macaroni and cheese, the most important thing is that you made it with your toddler. Cooking with kids isn't about making the most beautiful cake in the world; it's about having a great bonding experience with your toddler and helping them make great food choices. Allowing your toddler to experiment with food will help them feel positive about eating and cooking food, and set a good example for future food decisions.

Make sure to have everyone enjoy your cooking together! Hold a special dinner showcasing your cooking, or invite friends over for a play date and share your special creation. It is important to let your toddler know you are proud of what you cooked together! This way they will be excited about cooking in the future!

Cooking with your toddler can be a fun, educational, and messy activity! Don't let the idea of getting in the kitchen with your kids overwhelm you take your time, forget about the mess, and enjoy cooking together!

Learn more about this author, Sarah Lipoff.
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