Cooking with a baby can be a lot of fun. Yes, it can be done. As I mentioned earlier, cooking together is a way of spending quality time and introducing your little one to all sorts of new experiences and life lessons. I started cooking with my children almost as soon as they were out of the womb, and you can too.
Some people wait for the baby to nap before getting their cooking out of the way, but I always found it nice to be able to cook with your baby.
By the way, if you missed the introductory article to this series, you might want to go take a look at it now. It covers the basics including some important safety precautions. Click here!
So how can you introduce the youngest babies to cooking?
First find a nice spot in the kitchen or close to the kitchen for you baby. It should be free of drafts or heat from the oven and take into consideration any other safety precautions. I always preferred placing my babies in an infant bouncy or vibrating seat. It allowed them to slightly recline but still gave them a good view of everything that was going on.
With a young baby, there are two ways to give her a valuable experience in the kitchen. The first is by talking your way through your cooking. Carry on a conversation with your baby, telling him everything you are doing, including the names of the ingredients, what you will do next, etc. Pretend that you have your own cooking show and your baby is the audience. She will love to hear the sound of your voice, and this is a good way for her to learn the basics of language.
Next, introduce your child to different smells in the kitchen from vanilla to garlic. Wave a bottle of spice near your baby and tell him what it is. Cut an apple or orange open as you cook and show your baby the color and the scent. The reactions to the smells are so delightful that you may even want to have your camera ready. One of my children absolutely loved the smell of minced garlic, while another would grab at the bottle of vanilla whenever he saw it. These preferences are still evident today now that they are older.
Next up, I’ll share how I cook with my toddler.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. Starting June 1st, don’t miss her articles in the Baby Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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Introducing Art to My Little One
Kids Cooking? Make Sure the Fire Extinguisher is Handy