Around this time as the holidays draw near, when our college kids are beginning to come home for school break and the younger ones are preoccupied with school’s winter festivities, it’s imperative to make family time a top priority. For this reason, I’m always looking for ways to engage my kids and husband in some enjoyable and entertaining activities.
The kitchen is the hub of my house, so cooking with the family is not only an easy way to get together, it’s also a great way to spend fulfilling (and filling!) quality time with one another. Here’s a great article from the blog She Knows about why it’s so important to spend time with kids in the kitchen.
Breakfast has become my new favorite meal to spend together. Early on a weekend morning while everyone is still peaceful and content from the night’s rest, I love getting the whole family involved in making breakfast. For having such simple and quick preparations, pancakes are great fun for the kids. And if you’re looking for a unique way to spark lively discussion at the table, check out some of these conversation starters from Yum Food & Fun Magazine, which was started by my friend Jacqueline deMontravel.
My favorite question here is, “If you could be an actor or actress in any movie, which movie would you most like to star in and why?” I just love the creative answers kids come up with!
Recently my family was featured in the Premiere Issue of Yum Food & Fun Magazine.
Yum is a fabulous new publication laden with ideas and tips for cooking and preparing meals with the family. Here are some pictures of my family’s own pancake breakfast, featured in the magazine.
Kids love easy and nutritious toppings like fruit and nuts.
But your Thanksgiving feast isn’t just an ordinary meal, it’s an extraordinary opportunity to appreciate quality kitchen time with your kids. Whether they set the table with handmade arrangements or help you to choose the best stuffing recipe, kids of any age can help you participate in the Thanksgiving preparations. I love this Thanksgiving planner from YumSugar, a division of the blog PopSugar. Plan the feast with your kids up to two weeks before Thanksgiving, they’ll love looking forward to each step in the preparation process.
This week I am planning our Turkey Day feast with the help of my 13 year-old daughter Ella, who loves to cook. We love picking out recipes together. But whatever you do, the kids will love to help out in the kitchen, and you will certainly enjoy time spent with them.
Comments
Celeste
I absolutely love cooking with the kids … building so many sweet memories! LOVE your Thanksgiving Planner!
Joi Dela Renta
Thanks for this article and the resources. I’d like to thank you more for the conversation starters piece from Yum Food and Fun Magazine. My kids are 13 and 8, and while the 8 year old is more open and more talkative, the 13 year old is kinda put off by questions. I guess you just have to find non-threatening questions such as the ones enumerated in the article.
Annette
Celeste ~ You’re so right, some of my favorite memories take place in the kitchen while cooking with the kids. Glad you enjoyed the Thanksgiving Planner!
Joi ~ I know what you mean, I have teens too :) But I hope these questions will serve to be a good starting point for a lively conversation in your family!
Suzanne Lewis
I love the idea of cooking with the kids and using that time as quality time to build lasting memories. Great idea.
Turtle Mom
I love baking and it is so much more fun to do with kids!
aimee c.
though cooking with my boy is a huge feat, i always have to remind myself how much he’s learning when he’s helping. plus all the fun memories we make! thanks!
Annette
I’m so glad you appreciate the story, thanks for reading ladies!
Morena
When my husband was transferred to the night shift, it became imperative for us to spend Sunday morning together, because that was the only time when everybody was at home and not rushing off anywhere or dead tired. What we developed in the past three months was a new ritual (Sunday breakfast), lots of talk and we got closer as a family than ever before. I really appreciate how my kids are more open to us now, not just telling us how their day was at school. It’s also praise time during Sunday breakfast, and the mood gets carried over for the rest of the day and the rest of the week. Thanks for giving me suggestions on how to further expand on this!
Annette
Morena ~ That’s a wonderful ritual and a great way to be flexible around a new schedule. I’m happy that our story might help in continuing family traditions :)