Mommy's Helper TEAM

Starting today, both kids are Mommy's Helper for each meal, every day of every week. No more waiting around for someone to serve them. All three of us are preparing each and every meal! I am pleasantly surprised how this is becoming a habit and how much they are growing in skill in the kitchen. How I wish I had kept them close to me in the kitchen from a young age!

UPDATE: 4/12/12 Wednesday...I'm amazed at how competent both are becoming! Less whining and complaining each day. What a blessing to our family life to have all of us preparing meals together!

UPDATE: 11/15/12 Thursday...I don't make the kids lunches ANY MORE! They seem to do it all now! Dan is "broccoli man" and prepares our roasted broccoli with me several times a week.

Meatloaf Man

It is Daniel's week again to be Mommy's Helper. He is making meatloaf for the second time...it was DELICIOUS!

My Mommy's Helper

Daniel and I have been working together this week. He has been helping with meals, setting and clearing the table and putting dishes in the dishwasher. This is a big adjustment for all of us. He is quickly increasing in skill and service. He wants to plan a dinner and we were going to do that this week, but the snow put a keebosh on grocery shopping. Monday will start Sarah's week again.

More Chores - Mommy's Helper

I decided it is time for my kids to help in the kitchen. When we started homeschooling, I felt it was important to establish some important routines like eating meals together. To make that happen, I did all the meals...planning, prep and clean up. But now it is time for the kids to do some of these jobs. Thus, New and Improved for 2012 introducing "Mommy's Helper". No longer do they sit and wait to be served! Breakfast, lunch and dinner I call "I need Mommy's Helper"...Dan is assigned one week and Sarah is assigned for the next. They are quickly learning how to cook and slice and dice! Sarah is enjoys lots of sensory input and always wants to hold the egg yolks!

I knew starting something like this would evoke whining and complaining and gnashing of teeth, so I fortified my willpower and love quotient to endure the lashing. I'm very certain after we do this week in and week out, all that will subside. I haven't heard any complaints in a long time about emptying the dishwasher since I've stood firm that it must be emptied first thing in the morning before eating. Sarah is wearing John's apron from when he was FOUR! That makes it VINTAGE!

I know this is probably very normal for most people but I never had a system for planning and preparing meals (you can read about that HERE). And now with that system in place and a tidy kitchen, we can cook together!