Growing a Good Eater Series: Day 1: Kids in the Kitchen

Welcome to my series on Growing a Good Eater.  This is not going to be about the actual food as much as it is about how to get the child to eat it.  If you're looking for something on food, see my ten day series, Turn Your Kitchen Upside Down...In a Good Way.

If you have a serious problem feeder, I recommend looking into S.O.S. Feeding Therapy.  That was one of our first steps and it helped a great deal.  Most of the things I will mention in this series are either derived from or in tune with this therapy.

It seems like every kid, on the Autism Spectrum or not, struggles with eating at some point.  Although we've still got a ways to go with our food struggles, I wanted to share some steps we've taken towards shaping our kids' food view to be a positive one.

Most families naturally congregate in the kitchen.  The kitchen means conversation and food and family and fun.  And having kids be productive in the kitchen starts when they are babies.  We've always had one cabinet that's kid safe.  It was the only one without the child lock on it.  I store my Tupperware, bowls, plastic pitchers, and some pans in there and they had full access to it.

Did I have to wash out bowls before using them?  Yes.  But I wanted to convey the message: "you are welcome here."  And they were.

Yes, it's harder to cook with them underfoot but I'm seeing the payoffs now.  All three of them have a desire to cook with me and independently as much as they are able.  They have an interest in food in general.

You've got to think outside the box with this; I love the story my mother-in-law tells about making spaghetti on the kitchen floor.  It was too hard for the kids to reach across the table, so there they'd sit, cross legged on the floor, stirring spaghetti sauce.  It's much easier to shoo them out of the kitchen so you can make dinner in peace, but how is that preparing them for life?

Some moms might think I'm pretty liberal with safety in the kitchen (like, um, letting my kid sit on a stove...), but it's not recklessness, I promise you.  I always supervise but I want them to have as much independence as they're capable of.

From a very young age I would take their hand to the hot stove and oven and get just close enough so they could feel the heat and I'd pull back quick and make a big fuss yelling "oooooh - HOT!!!"  We'd do it a couple of times until they mimicked me and we haven't had a burn yet (praise God!).  And just in case, that's why I have an aloe plant out back!

My goal was to teach them to respect the stove, not fear it.  Respect meant they could participate in that area under specific boundaries; fear would drive them out of the kitchen.

Another thing to consider is kitchen tools and placement.  If you've ever cooked in someone else's kitchen, you know how frustrating it is to not know where anything is.  You don't feel comfortable which is why it's important for kids to know their way around the kitchen.  This happens naturally when they are using the items and also by sharing responsibility for putting items away.  I'll touch on that more in a minute.

One way I've tried to provide this sense of ownership in the kitchen is an extension of the kid cabinet.  Now that they're older, they have no desire to sit on the floor and bang wooden spoons on pots.  What we have now is the kid kitchen drawer.  It's a drawer full of not just kid friendly but tools designed for kids. (p.s. this drawer is never this neat...it's totally staged).  The cool kid tools are made by Nordic Ware and I found them at Target.  There is a larger selection on Amazon.

As they've grown, I've tried to take strides to give them responsibilities in the kitchen.

Some ideas for responsibility...
Cracking Eggs
When we make eggs or bake I yell "who's my egg cracker?" and I better make sure I have at least three eggs because they usually all want a part.
Before they were handed that egg for the first time though, I showed them a successful crack and then explained "you know it's ready when it drips."  I also told them about eggshells going in the garbage disposal, not the bowl.  Yes, in the beginning I would have to wait until they left and pick shells out with a fork, but I kid you not, even my four-year-old can now crack an egg with very few shells in the bowl!

Making their Own Snacks and Sandwiches
I have to slice the bread, but beyond that, they can use a chair to reach crackers and peanut butter and plates and bowls.

Pouring their Own Juice and Water
Again, with a chair they can reach the sink

Shucking Corn
They rip, I rinse.

Kitchen Chores
*Emptying the silverware out of the dishwasher
*Putting away bowls and pans
*Putting their plate on the counter or in the sink (if it's cleared) after they eat
*Each meal someone is in charge of passing out plates and helping me set food on the table
*Help sweep and mop (then I re-sweep and re-mop :)).

Ownership and responsibility will give kids an even stronger feeling of "look what I did!" than drawing a picture.  They can see something they've created and share it with others and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

If you haven't done any of this but want to make a change, no worries!  It's never too late to get your kiddos interested in helping out in the kitchen.  You can start today...at dinner :).

A great book to read with kids along with this step: Chop, Simmer, Season