How to Have Fun Including Your Toddler in Cooking

My sweet Jaxson has been a difficult eater his entire life. The occupational therapists insisted over and over that including him in cooking would help his eating habits. My immediate thought?

How in the heck do you cook with a kid that's not even two yet?!

I procrastinated, made excuses, and did whatever I could to forget that suggestion. Except it kept getting suggested to me. So I finally gave in.

We started off slowly.

I'd do everything and then let my little cutie come and stir the pot. He of course loved it!

The twins are usually at my feet when I'm in the kitchen so it wasn't long before Jaxson would stand on my feet until I'd pick him up to let him get a little earlier start on the cooking.

We progressed to pouring in teaspoons of seasoning before it was time to stir. The pure joy on his face was precious!

I had never seen him interact with food like this before!

Pretty soon Jaxson would come running when he heard me starting to cook. He was getting old enough (now that he'd just turned two) that he'd push the chair over to where I was cooking.

He was ready to dive in and was vocal about helping from start to finish! He loves to do literally everything when it comes to cooking now! He helps with the can opener, he picks up all kinds of textures (unheard of before!), he pours everything, stirs it all, and more!

He's even put plastic gloves on to prepare meatloaf from start to finish! (That was probably his favorite meal to make!)

Honestly, I look forward to our cooking time as much as he does!

We make the best memories together cooking and he's barely two years old. I'm amazed at how interested he is! He may still be a difficult eater but he is light years better than he was before! And getting better every week!

Whether your little one is a picky eater or not, get them involved in the kitchen! There's no need for excuses, I did this with Jaxson's twin brother running around plus his 4 and 6 year siblings!

Was it convenient? NO! But was it worth it? YES!

I am so thankful I started this and you will be too! Allow for the mess, allow for the extra time, and look for joy in the moment. If you're having trouble with that, click here to check out an amazing program called Mom Mastery University. It's helped me turn my life around as a mom, going from stressed and overwhelmed to joyful and calm. If you still have questions, please reach out to me! I'm here for you!

~Jill