Kids in the Kitchen isn’t just about knowing how to cook, it is also knowing how to clean. In that respect, I do far too much for kids. The one time I asked James to do the dishes, he looked at me, laughed and said ‘… but I don’t know HOW!’ He didn’t end up doing the dishes. I take the blame for that, though, because I enjoy (I KNOW!) doing dishes so I don’t relinquish control over it.
But now it’s time to teach them something. Friday is our trash day, so I clean out the fridge on a Thursday about once a month. This month, James got to help. I taught him how to check the dates on products and toss the ones that weren’t good any longer. We also cleaned out the leftover containers. When we were done, he got to take the trash out.
Taking the trash out is nothing new for him, but learning how to clean out the fridge was quite the experience! I might have to have him do it again next week just to make sure we didn’t miss anything and he took away some skills.
What kitchen chores are your kids responsible for?
Did you have fun in the “kitchen” this week? Did you try a new food or a new kid friendly restaurant? Did your little ones use their snacks to count to 10? We invite you to share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen!
Come join me and my co-hosts, Melinda at Look What Mom Found, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sarah of Play2LearnWithSarah, each week by linking up a post, new or old, that features the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.
- preparing healthy snacks
- having a tea party
- counting skills with m&ms
- pouring from measuring cups
- discovering a local restaurant that your kids love
- creating new family friendly recipes
Don’t have a blog? That’s ok! Just share an Instagram photo or Facebook update.
My son laughs at me too when I ask him to do the dishes. However, he is responsible for after snack (in the evening dishes) so mama wakes up to a clean kitchen in the morning:)
I totally know what you mean about doing the dishes yourself. I wouldn’t say I enjoy it. I just like my dishwasher loaded a certain way. So I always do the dishes. But I never unload the dishwasher! That is my son’s job. I really like the idea of having them help clean out the fridge. I am going to make my kids help me on Sunday since our trash day is Monday. Wish me luck!
My son is responsible for making sure the garbage and recycling go out when full.