My Life Would be Simple

Little hands stirring pots, pouring ingredients, spilling milk, fighting over whose turn it is to mix the oatmeal each morning, makes for mornings of messy beginnings.  How simple my life would be if I did it myself, my counter less grimy, my stove without the smell of charred milk, and there would not be a towel under our feet catching the dripping that always occurs.  

This simple life of ours, involves many cooks at the stove, many preparers in the kitchen and many messes in the sink.  We eat at home, we prepare most of our own foods from scratch and we are teaching our children to love the kitchen.

When we had two kids this way of life was fun, we did it because we wanted them to constantly learn, with 4 kids an amazing adventure of everyone gets a job, with six kids it can be a challenge but one we are still applying. They are always with us, preparing anything draws a crowd, and the payoff is sweet.

Last night I viewed a rewarding sight, one child preparing potatoes, one child mixing bread and one child putting dishes away, all done while I was only the spectator.  They flowed, they cleaned as they were going, they didn't' get into each others way. Little kids were running about, climbing on counters and it was the norm for them, they were working in chaos and enjoying the task at hand, of creating.  This is life at our home through 3 meals each day, teaching, creating, and being involved.

My advice for any mom's with littles is, bring your children into the kitchen, pull up a stool, give them a spoon and teach them how you want it done and as they get older let them have the freedom to create.  Be less concerned about burns and spills and more concerned with molding these fascinating beings.