Council on Aging Answers 2016 - 131

COUNCIL ON AGING - ORANGE COUNTY

Council On Aging-Orange County | 714-479-0107 | www.coaoc.org Answers Guide 2016

131

ENTERTAINMENT, RECREATION & MORE

Kids love to make cookies. They can form the dough,
apply sprinkles and other decorations, use cookie
cutters, and their creative treasures smile up at everyone
when they are served after dinner or at a "tea party."
As they get older and more experienced, you can let
them plan and prepare meals. At first, you will work
together in both planning and preparation but, before
you know it, your child will be able to put a simple meal
on the table. The parents will be pleased and your little
chef will be so proud of himself.
Give them a crash course in nutrition. Let them know
they need to plan meals that include foods from a variety
of food groups. I remember telling our kids that a salad
had to have more than just carrots. They loved carrots.
Make sure to teach them any favorite family dishes.
Part of our grandparenting role, which is to hand down
family stories, includes our special recipes. And while
you're teaching the kids how to prepare the food, you can
also talk about celebratory meals over the years.
It's also fun to teach each of your children how to
prepare a particular dish that is a family favorite. That
child becomes the expert and every time they are going
to serve it, she is called to do the job.
There are good cookbooks available for kids. Once
they're old enough to read, go through them and choose
ones appropriate for their age and that fit with how the
family likes to eat.
Helping in the kitchen has many benefits. It's a great
learn how to measure, how to mix wet and dry and how activity for a child and his grandparent. The child is
spending time with you. You can spend as much time
to sauté.
as you both wish mucking around with food and
Even toddlers can get involved. Little ones can stir dry
preparing a dish.
ingredients, tear lettuce and fetch things. Give them jobs
At the same time, you are teaching your grandchild
that are safe and short-term. For example, you can send
about nutrition, making choices and planning. And,
a child across the room to get a can of soup from a lower
their self-esteem is getting a healthy boost. If we sit
cupboard. He does the task and he's finished - good job! down to a meal that was prepared by 10-year-old
If he is still keen, he can do another job, and so on, for as Melissa, she is going to feel terrific about herself. If we
long as he's willing. When we give toddlers jobs that are have a cake for dessert and three-year-old Juan stirred
simple and take only a few minutes, we can expect they
the ingredients, he will know that he had an important
will finish the task, but aren't asking for a commitment
role to play in providing this cake everyone is enjoying.
that a young child can't yet make.
Make cooking one of the activities your
Preschoolers can have a say in the menu. Start by
grandchildren will look forward to when you have
offering choices. Do you want chicken or pork chops
a visit. You will have fun in the kitchen and your
tonight? We can barbeque the chops or cook them in the grandchild's parents will be thrilled with this new skill.
oven, which would you prefer? They will want to know
the differences between cooking them each way and you
Reprinted with permission from Senior Living
can take the opportunity to teach them about different
Magazine, www.seniorliving mag.com associated with
www.parentingtoday.ca/
foods and different preparation methods.

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