More problems with Caelin....cooking ideas?

[Shara]

Sooo...Caelin has decided he is a budding artist.

Any ideas as to things a 2-3 year old can do when we cook?

Basically, I have found TWO empty jars of my GOOD spices today. HE helped cook real spagetti last night...ugh. I am thinking I should lock him in his bed all day! lol. I try to include him and he wants to do it ALL the time!

 

[MaggieJ]

Are there any playgroups in your area? Other moms who you can network with? A playground where you can wear him out once the weather improves? I'm a great believer in walks. Baby in the stroller, Caelin trudging along beside you... You talk, tell stories etc. and he goes home too tired to get into so much trouble.

 

[Shara]

lol. yeah, there is a playgroup at the library once a week he LOVES. and we just started church again, so he gets to go to Sunday School. We just got back when he decided to cook.

I think maybe he is just an energetic, rambunctious boy. :shrug:

Oh well, I DO know he needs TONS of excercise and movement and scheduele. I was wonderign if anyone hasd ideas what might be appropriate tasks in the kitchen? I mean, I usually over-estimate him, and then correct what I am doing. Eventually. Lol. I have found he is okay at stirring (as long as I stir, too) and can follow basic instructions....

Oh, I don't know.

Wouldn't it be neat, though, if I finally found what he is GREAT at? Like, Tristan, he is a great vocalizer...and loves music. And he loves to sing.

What if this was Caelin's thing? Even if it's not, for a sufficiency-motivated family, cooking is a great skill to have, one that everyone should be taught (I wasn't, lol)

 

[Jack]

Um, explain mommies stuff, his stuff, I've gone through it myself, I explined why he was in trouble and told him that if I can't trust him to stay out of the stuff he shouldn't be in, he can't help me, and I stick to it.

 

[Miss M]

:lol:
This is called a "challenge". The other bit about the SIL and DHS... THAT's a "problem". :lol:

Anyway, sounds to me like you need a lock on your spice cabinet.

There are magnetic locks, which you install on the inside of the cabinet door, for which there is a magnetic "key". http://www.amazon.com/Cabinet-Locks-Mag ... 191&sr=8-4 You put the key over where the lock is, and you can open the door. You would not be able to allow him to see where the key is kept, and it had better be a good hiding spot.

There are sprung locks, as well, that have a hook that hits a stop when you open the door. http://www.amazon.com/Organize-com-Chil ... 191&sr=8-1 You can push on the hook until it is past the stop, and open the door. I used these on my drawers, and some of my cabinets.

If you have knobs on your cabinets, you can get a couple of different kinds of locks that fit around two knobs that are close together. This would lock both cabinets, but nothing has to be screwed in. My favorite one was this: http://www.amazon.com/Child-Safety-Cabi ... 26&sr=8-17 You have to push two buttons (the second depends on which door you want to open), and pull down to loosen the one side enough to get it off of the knob. If you have handles, you would have to pull that side completely out, so that may be too inconvenient. We actually still have one of these things that we use for various things (not for childproofing, though... we're past that).

This way, you don't lose any more of your spices, unless you get a lock that he is able to figure out.

When you are cooking, it might help to premeasure all of the spices into a bowl (or several bowls), and put the spices back away before he comes to help. Then he can put the spices in, but he has no access to the rest of the spices.

Wearing him out, like Maggie suggested, is another good idea. :twisted: Although, I usually wore out long before my kids did! :?

Yes (just saw your most recent post), he's just a normal, energetic, rambunctious boy. Don't worry too much about trying to find his big talent... he's only a toddler. If he wants to help, let him help, with much supervision and clear boundaries. He can start really learning to cook when he's a few years older and better able to follow directions, and better able to see things like spices for what they are instead of "hey, if a little is good, Mommy will be REALLY happy if I use a LOT of it. Or maybe ALL of it! Yeah!"

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

I dont know-- I think At 3 years he is capable of learning how to measure, pour, etc. And, get a high stool and let him help wash 'safe' dishes- spoons, plastic ware, Pots, pans, lids, etc. Show hi the 'clean as you go' mehtod while cooking-- he can be incharge of anything that drops on the floor! even, make up some cookie dough while he is asleep, and when cooking dinner, he can fill the cookie sheets!- the cookies bake while he is eating, then voila! a nice warm cookie dessert When Myson was that age, I had him help cut his sandwiches into different shapes. he learned square, rectangle, triangle- some people even use cookie cutters to get seasonal shaped sandwiches! He can help and learn at the same time!!!

 

[eco2pia]

Ha you all beat me to it, editing for brevity now...No touching things when you aren't there, ask before you touch, should be hard rules. No lock will work forever, he needs to learn, and 3 is old enough--if they are old enough to crack a lock, they are old enough to leave it alone!

Consequences could be time out in his room, "If I can't trust you around my things I am sorry, you can't be around my things." 10-15 min is appropriate. Maybe 10-15 min after the tantrum stops, depending on how big of an issue THAT is. They catch on quick if you remind them that the timer doesn't even start until they are quiet.

Speaking of which, a kitchen timer is the BEST tool, not only does it give them a better idea of time passing, it makes the "punishment" impersonal, and it helps you remember to follow thru if you tend to get distracted, like me. It also helps older kids stay on task--"you have 10 min to clean this up or no movie..." the ticking kind is especially good. They even can help a sick child--"tylenol will start to work in about 20 min, here, you can hold the timer."

The big thing to remember at this age is they are growing and learning at warp speed, so things they didn't get 2 weeks ago will suddenly sink in. If you say something like, "because you did this you don't get to do that until you show me you are older." 'older' is only a few weeks away, then you try again. And maybe again 2 weeks later.

 

[Iggysbabysitter]

My oldest is still very high energy, and to tire him out in the afternoon was always a disaster... nap for a bit, up before supper, and no chance of getting any sleep until after midnight. Sigh. So, I`d have to deal with the constant flow of energy with no nap. Locks do help. A lot. All cabinets except the tupperware (not breakable), the pots and pans (AKA the drum kit) and the canned goods (used as blocks for a very long time) had locks in my house. It meant lots of things were constantly being picked up and cleaned, but it occupied him til supper was on the table.
I`ve always had animals, so mine learned at a young age how to care for them. He liked brushing the cats and dogs, and with a soft brush I wasn`t worried about him pulling tangles.
I`m married to military, and for the first 9 years or so he was ALWAYS gone. I found a group of friends who were in the same situatiion, and we all agreed, cooking small portions for yourself and the kids.. well... kinda sucks. I cook for an army. So when the guys were away the wives would team up, one cooking while the other watched the kids, and then on another night we`d switch turns. But you`d have to find people who you can trust.

My aunt made aprons for my boys because they HAD to be in the kitchen... always. I gave one a potatoe brush and a small bucket of water and the other had the bag of potatoes. The youngest would pick out the potatoes, hand them to his older brother, they`d get scrubbed, then one would hand the clean potatoe to me for cutting and cooking.

Homemade play dough (I have a few different recipes from preschool) was big at our house, and was only out when the kids would stay at the table. It`s great for imagination, and the homemade stuff is as good as the store bought (better, since it`s colored with kool-aid so it smells nicer). Tons of old play dough toys can be found at yard sales and thrift stores to add to the fun. Have him exercise his brain by telling stories about what the play dough characters are doing. Play dough used to be very important in preschool, as a fine motor skill developer.

 

[Jack]

Oh, and friends really help, speaking of which I was talking to my wife, seems like we could use some closer to us...
most of hers are still in WV, 5000 mi away....

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

Oh, and friends really help, speaking of which I was talking to my wife, seems like we could use some closer to us...
most of hers are still in WV, 5000 mi away....

Well DANG, Jack- shovel a path to the road for her and let her out!!! Try the Cabin fever clinics!!