How I’ve Kept Sane with Kids in the Kitchen
Truth is when you’re strapped for time and need to get dinner on the table, (little) kids in the kitchen can be distracting and disruptive (no matter how sweet things look on Instagram). These days as we all huddle at home, schooling and working, there is no avoiding the 4-year-old spilling the milk while the 2-year-old tugs at the apron. Here are some of the ways I am giving in to this madness and finding ways kids can actually be helpful in the kitchen.
1. Let them cut!
For a certain age group (starting at age 4 for my kids), chopping and dicing is a thrilling activity. Hand them a butter knife and soft fruits like strawberries to cut off the tops or slices of soft bread to cut off the crusts.
2. Disinfect.
A new part of our ‘new normal’ grocery routine is cleaning the produce with apple cider vinegar and water once we get everyone home. Fill a large bowl with ¾ warm water, ¼ apple cider vinegar, and let the kids gently drop hard produce (like apples, oranges, carrots, and eggplants) into the mixture, rub them clean with their hands, then dry them off.
3. Mix, mix, mix.
Just make sure the bowl is way larger than it needs to be to avoid spillover. My two-year-old is often mixing a bowl of water that I don’t actually need 🤷♀️ but gives me a solid 5 minutes of prep.
4. Clean up, clean up.
Hand a kid of spray bottle (we fill ours with ¾ vinegar ¼ water and a few drops of citrus essential oil) and a towel and tell them to go nuts on the surfaces that need to be cleaned. Surprisingly effective!
5. Salad spinning.
Have a spinner? Throw your greens and herbs in there after rinsing and let the kids have a go.
-Christina Liva, Founder + Mom
