As I hurried to buy activity books and kid-friendly scissors, a light bulb went off in my head: Why not introduce my son to the kitchen? It would be cheaper and more realistic. I am a fairly good cook and like to bake treats for my son often.
I thought about introducing him to the kitchen because the movements in the kitchen entail everything the doctor recommended. Breaking eggs and whisking require certain levels of control and precision. I knew it wouldn't be easy as I am also not the most patient person, but I also thought about having shared memories of doing something I enjoy with my son.
So for a few weekends now, my son and I enter the kitchen on one day of the weekend and bake something. We shut the door and it is just us. At that moment, he comes first and I think he feels somewhat special since it is a point in time where I prioritise our time over everything else. Since he is small, I thought we should start with baking because it is the easiest ‘chore’, with yummy goodies at the end.
Over time, I have thought about how it is actually easier to start doing house chores with kids as a fun shared activity before it becomes a real job. It would start off as something fun and enjoyable, gradually becoming an expectation and a way of life. On the journey through their childhoods, we would then have shared experiences, imparted knowledge and made our children accustomed to doing work around the house without it feeling like work.
Since then, I have slowly introduced other things, like peeling, washing dishes and cleaning up. It’s not easy for me because I enjoy a controlled environment in the kitchen, but I have also come to learn patience and self-control because I do want quality one-on-one time with my eldest. Especially since I am needed round the clock by my newborn.
I want to keep at it and have fun with my son while teaching him basic skills. I am also learning to control myself and not to take things too seriously. For instance, today, during our cake-making session, my son dropped half an egg on the counter but I didn't even sweat it, I just added the other half to the mixture and carried on.
The baking class is not about perfection, it is about seeing more than that. To be honest, I was even a little happy that my four-year-old is halfway to learning how to crack an egg like a pro!
