Cooking on the Stovetop?

Just wondered how many of you cook on the stovetop with your kids. We did for the first time this morining, although there wasn't much involved. We cooked eggies in a basket..we started at the table putting butter on both sides of the bread and cutting out holes in the center of our bread. Then we went over to the stove and with Allison watching, Sarah pulled her stool up to the stove and I got the pan started. I let Sarah do everything with me helping. She placed her bread in the pan, cracked the egg in the hole, they both watched it cook, and with my help flipped the bread. Then I rotated with Allison. I don't know how much stovetop stuff I will do with them but they never tried to touch anything so I may try to do more, but really, I don't know what more I could do besides just letting them stir stuff or making grilled cheese sandwiches. It really makes me nervous, but they love to cook and are starting to get really curious and I figure the more familiar they are the less likely they are to explore on their own. Has anyone done more?

 

I don't have any advice since my boys are still little, but I'm glad to hear you had such a positive experience! We do lots of stuff with the mixer but they don't get to help with the stovetop part (pancakes, for instance). Jackson especially loves it!

 

Mine really don't help with the stovetop stuff per se. My DS LOVES scrambled eggs and he LOVES to help me make them. He usually just stirs the egg after I have scrambled them. Then I pour it in the skillet (sometimes I will let hem stir with the spatula), but usually he is just content standing there watching me.

Both of mine still like the "stirring" or mixing part more than anything. However, I can assume as they get older they will want to do more.

It is fun to cook with them! Glad you all had a good time.

 

I let my kids help me prep everything, I don't let them do the cooking. I'm just way to nervous with the flame.

 

Hannah helps me occasionally, but I am nervous wreck the whole time. I don't trust Ben (he is kind of clumsy, and not all that focused). Like Maureen, I tend to let them do more prep than anything else. But Hannah will do the meat for spaghetti or tacos with close supervision.

 

I've been considering it, so it's good to know that you did it with no disasters. It can be hard to think of ways for them to help in the kitchen that don't involve sharp knives or hot pans! I will sometimes let them pour something into a hot pan (like Cream of Wheat) if I'm sure it's not going to splatter.

But I am not at all comfortable with a child leaning over the stove unless I have a really good grip on her entire body. I don't worry so much about them touching something intentionally (I can leave sharp knives on the counter while they're measuring and stirring, and they leave them alone), but they are both (especially Amy) fairly careless and unaware of what their bodies are doing. I can totally see someone losing her balance while trying to look into the pan.

I just read a book ("Hungry Monkey") about cooking with and for a small child, and the dad swears by a tabletop electric skillet. That way, the child can be sitting down, and there is no open flame. You still have to be very careful though, since the skillet is blazing hot if you touch it anywhere but the handle. I could see making grilled cheese or something that way with one child at a time.

 

I don't let them cook, but they do love cracking eggs and stirring. They also get a kick out of hitting the Pampered Chef chopper. :girl_devil:

 

I started with letting the boys add things to a blender and push the button for smoothies. Then it progressed to helping to prep by adding things to the bowl and stirring - giving them their own utensils or turn. I have also allowed them to add the pasta to the boiling water, but they don't really like to do that because it is too hot. We do a lot on the grill and in the oven, and both of those are too hot, so they aren't interested. Anytime they want to "help" in the kitchen, they bring over the kitchen chairs to the counter and they are high enough and stable enough where I am comfortable with them helping. They are so scared of the "hot" that they don't dare to touch anything if it emits any type of heat. Good luck with your budding chefs!!