FESTIVE KITCHEN ADVENTURES — KID EDITION Whisking Up Family Fun
KEEP FAMILY FLAVORS FLOWING. Want to give your elderly mom or dad a holiday surprise they’ll never forget? Present them with a meal based on one of their famous recipes that their grandkid(s) helped prepare! Holiday gatherings are great for sharing the details and delicacies that shaped your family’s history — and a wonderful opportunity to pass down those special traditions to the next generation. With the holidays upon us, now is a perfect time to introduce little ones to the joys of baking and cooking by turning your kitchen into a safe space for learning and bonding.
Could your child be a future celebrity chef? Could your baby be a world-class baker in waiting? Help transform your toddlers or school-age kids into tiny tastemakers by following these three simple tips. USE YOUR SPACE AS A SKILL ZONE. It takes more than just a love of food to make delicious meals and treats, as cooking and baking put all five senses to the test. Helping in the kitchen enables small children to heighten their awareness of smells, tastes, sounds, and textures while learning new words. Having them measure ingredients and pour them into bowls is an easy way to refine their motor skills, and your guidance behind the counter will
encourage them to follow directions. If your kitchen companion is a baby, you can still involve them by describing the sights, sounds, and smells surrounding them and letting them touch some of the food — all great tools to assist in developing their connection to the world. KID-PROOF YOUR MEAL PREP. Before taking your child on a culinary journey, check that their countertop travels won’t endanger them. It’s obviously a big no-no to rest a sharp knife on a cutting board that small hands can reach, but little things like toothpicks can also pose a risk. If your small assistant is old enough to cut up ingredients, a plastic utensil will be less painful than steel if the blade misses its mark.
Fostering Realistic Family Resolutions That Stick
It’s that time of year again when we make ambitious New Year’s resolutions and fight tooth and nail to keep them! But despite our best efforts, we often fall short of following through. The big question is why we struggle to stay on track. In most cases, two significant reasons emerge: We set unrealistic goals for ourselves or lack the support system to help hold us accountable for reaching our goals. This year, when making resolutions, consider making them together as a family instead of going it alone. You might be surprised at how aligning individual and family goals can lead to deeper connections and greater accomplishments. Look at a few New Year’s resolutions that will benefit the entire family! CREATE ‘UNPLUG’ TIME. Adults and children alike need time to decompress after a long, stressful day. Believe it or not, there are other
ways to wind down besides staring at our phones. One is to carve out time during the week when everyone is home from work and school, put away their phones, and discuss the day with each other. Another is to put phones away an hour before bedtime. VOLUNTEER TOGETHER. Sit with your family to discuss causes you all would like to support. Whether volunteering at animal shelters or participating in a Habitat for Humanity build project, committing to shared values and a purpose builds community and enhances empathy and compassion toward others — and you’re doing it as a family. FOSTER HEALTHY HABITS AS A FAMILY. While bringing everyone to the gym may not be a realistic goal for your family, creating healthy habits is. Simple activities like walking in your neighborhood after dinner, cooking healthy meals together, shooting
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