Involving Young Kids in the Kitchen (Beyond Stirring)
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Cooking with kids is important, but can be hard sometimes. Get ideas on how to involve them (beyond stirring) even at young ages.
This post is written by contributing writer Debra of Worth Cooking.
My children, at the young ages of 5, 3, and 1, are little mirrors of the passion I have for cooking. They jump at any chance to do it, and cling to every word as I talk about seasoning, cooking technique, and fresh nourishing foods. I appreciate this as I want these children to grow up knowing how to cook real, healthy foods.
As I involve them in the kitchen I am teaching them how to cook, and it always amazes me how quickly they learn. Even my one year old catches on to what big sister and brother are doing and does her best to follow suit.
Cooking with kids is important, but can be hard sometimes. Get ideas on how to involve them (beyond stirring) even at young ages.
Beyond wanting them to know how to cook, there is the fact that I can spend quality time with them and they are kept busy and within eyesight. So, I try very hard to involve them in the kitchen with me. While I frequently get overwhelmed at the thought of cooking with children, even though I think it is very important, I never look back and regret having cooked with them.
Today I am sharing some of the ways I involve them, divided by age. (All children are different, these are based off of my experience, use your best judgment of course.) I also would love to hear how you involve your young (or older) kids in the kitchen. Please comment with your ideas.
Katie here, just interrupting for a sec if I may with an exciting announcement about something I’m super passionate about…kids cooking dinner!
Your kids can learn to cook!
If your dream would be a night off dinner – or you know it’s vital that your kids have life skills like cooking – or they’re ASKING to help in the kitchen but you’re not sure where to start – these brand new videos can help!
It feels like you don’t have time for anything else – but teaching kids to cook truly creates time where there was none once they start pitching in on dinner prep. #kitchenmiracle
Woven Wrap/Ergo/Moby – wear them while cooking? Yeah… let’s start with a little older then a newborn.
Cooking with kids is important, but can be hard sometimes. Get ideas on how to involve them (beyond stirring) even at young ages.
Cooking with Young Toddlers/Babies
Sampling– You would not want to use a BAD tasting banana in an smoothie, would you?
Organizing– Ok, so I know “toddler” and “organizing” should not be used in a sentence, but toddlers are often love putting item X into bowl Y. One piece a time, and with some encouragement not to eat it. But, hey, they’re learning.
Washing Produce– Put that scrub brush to work!
Washing Dishes– Anyone else love to wash dishes with a baby in the other sink? They can “help” of course. Give them a lid or plastic spoon.
Peeling off loose skins of garlic and onions– I actually had never thought to do this until the other day. But, my 15 month old thought peeling an onion was the absulotely most amazing thing ever and made sure she held up every piece so I, and her older siblings, could admire her work.
Stirring– I said these were ideas that went beyond stirring, not that it wasn’t a really great thing for kids to do.
Holding produce/utensils/bowls- So they can hand you that cabbage the second you need it (after you get their attention of course).
Cooking with kids is important, but can be hard sometimes. Get ideas on how to involve them (beyond stirring) even at young ages.
Cooking with Toddlers
The ideas listed under baby/toddler with adaptations based on age.
Push buttons- Congratulations your life just got easier, you will never have to turn on a food processor or blender on by yourself ever again. Unless it is during nap time, then WHY are you blending something?
Cutting Bananas (or other very soft foods) with a butter knife- I sometimes will let them do this even if I don’t need bananas if I am really needing to keep a young kid busy. I don’t do this unless I am fine with them eating whatever they are cutting, because otherwise it is too frustrating for everyone.
Spreads– Spread nut butters on bread or bananas, spread icing on a cookie, etc.
Stacking- A task that can go beyond blocks. I don’t mean to brag, but my daughter at two could make an AMAZING cucumber and hummus tower using her stacking and spreading skills.
The seasoning sprinkle- I have found around two to be the perfect age to start teaching the seasoning sprinkle. Grab the spices and evenly sprinkle over foods. Only do this when “evenly” is not actually very important.
Dumping- Hand them the cup of rice and let them dump it into the pot.
Putting Away groceries- It is a good practice in putting things where they belong. I can start teaching what needs to go where (fridge, freezer, pantry) and why.
Cooking with kids is important, but can be hard sometimes. Get ideas on how to involve them (beyond stirring) even at young ages.
Cooking with Preschoolers
The ideas listed under baby and toddler with adaptations based on ages.
Counting- Because you need exactly 1 onion, 2 potatoes, 3 apples, 4 cloves of garlic, 5 carrots, and 6 capers. Not sure what you will make with that, but let the counting practice commence.
Spice Mystery- If I don’t know what direction I am going in a dish I will often let one of my older kids pick out a bottle of spices, and go from there.
Shopping – I am listing this one here because it is my older two who really get something out of shopping. Shopping is a time I can teach about nourishing foods. I particularly like taking them to the farmer’s market and directly to farms when I can.
Simple Produce Prep– I take a few minutes to teach my older kids and then they are doing simple produce prep like stemming mushrooms, peeling bananas, peeling carrots, poking sweet potatoes for baking, etc.
Measuring- I actually let them start measuring very young (still on my hip) but my three year old is just now getting to the point of being able to accurately measure ingredients (I don’t usually let her do flour as that is more precise). I show her which spoon and she scoops and levels.
Cooking with kids is important, but can be hard sometimes. Get ideas on how to involve them (beyond stirring) even at young ages.
Menu Planning- I (sometimes) ask what my older kids want, and will take it into consideration. They come up with some pretty creative things.
Cutting– It is around 3 I let the kids star using sharp knives, with VERY close supervision (usually I am holding it with them) or butter/lettuce knives for softer things. I start teaching proper ways of holding knives, the slicing motion, etc.
Taking herbs off of stems- This is perhaps my least favorite kitchen task, but thankfully both my kids love doing it! I usually start them doing this around 2, but by 3 or so I am able to just give it to them and they do it on their own.
Shaping- I am pretty sure shaping foods such as bliss balls, cookies, breads, etc. is a preschooler’s dream. I often scoop things with my cookie scoop and let my kids roll them into nice and even balls. If they get to roll the balls into something, all the better.
Rolling- Often my three year old is not strong enough to roll with a rolling pin, but I let her and my son take turns rolling out things like crackers.
Cooking simple things- My daughter is the official ground beef cooker in our house. She has a little pink mix and chop and uses that thing with pride. She also scrambles eggs, with closer supervision as they quickly over cook.
Seasoning Exercises- The creative juices are flowing, often without much experience. I don’t do this super often, but I enjoy when we practice seasoning by tasting foods as we go along and talk about what it needs.
So many little things- Basically if she is in the kitchen she will give me ideas of what she can do (“I can do that!”), so she basically does all the little tasks.
Cooking with kids is important, but can be hard sometimes. Get ideas on how to involve them (beyond stirring) even at young ages.
Cooking with Kindergarteners
I am really impressed by how many things my 5 year old can do in the kitchen. I honestly did not know he could be so much help at so young an age! I love cooking with my daughters, but involving them often means extra time. With my son, he is actually a big help.
Because he does so much, I am not going to be making him a list. Basically if it does not involve massive knives, spattering grease, or hot ovens he does it with varying levels of my help. Things like washing, peeling (at least carrots, and stemming kale or mushrooms) produce he does by himself after I teach him how to do it. I can even nurse the baby while he is doing these things, which is such a blessing.
Cooking with kids is important, but can be hard sometimes. Get ideas on how to involve them (beyond stirring) even at young ages.
For more involved things, I am either beside him directing him, or helping far more hands-on (like teaching him knife skills). He has ideas for things he wants to cook, frequently coming up with good ideas.
The four of us basically just cook together as I teach him and Natalia about cooking, and Valerie sits in her chair providing quality control through sampling and doing things like peeling onions and holding vegetables to hand to me.
Christopher has been cooking with me a lot since he was a baby, so he knows many things around the kitchen and helps me teach Natalia. He does all the things I listed in baby, toddler, and preschool section but often with more knowledge and experience.
Cooking with kids is important, but can be hard sometimes. Get ideas on how to involve them (beyond stirring) even at young ages.
Do you enjoy cooking with your kids? How are some ways you include them in the kitchen?
Original article and pictures take www.kitchenstewardship.com site
Have picky eaters on your hands? I remember a few years ago, before I had kids, swearing I would raise the best eaters. Now with a daughter not even 2, I’m already eating my words — sometimes even the best of us parents struggle with our kids not wanting to eat something. Which is why I was thrilled when Orlene said she would guest post for us and share some tips for our picky eaters!
Helping Picky Eaters
Do you wish it was easier to get your children to try new foods? To eat a healthy diet full exciting variety such as sweetcorn, mushrooms and tomatoes! Instead of fighting your kids to take bites, they happily eat what you offer.
One of the problems that many parents face is fussy children, especially fussy toddlers. It’s at this age, between 2 and 6 that children change from happily trying anything to refusing to try anything new.
“Carrots? Ew! NO THANK YOU!”
Parents learn to tread around this behavior and give them what they know they’ll like. Anything for a quiet life. (I have toddler twins and I’d do pretty much anything for a quiet life!) But gradually the ‘accepted list’ gets smaller and smaller and you reach your wits end, it’s time for a change.
How to Help Your Children Like New Food:
It’s difficult getting children to try new things. They don’t like new things. It’s a fact. (There’s a theory that it’s a survival trait, to stop us from eating poisonous things back in the day when we picked berries, ate nuts and hunted roaming hefferlumps.)
The point is children don’t like new things so when you present them with something new:
Don’t expect them to like it.
I’m not joking. If you stop expecting them to like it, you’ll stop getting frustrated when they don’t. Pressure isn’t a good thing when it comes to getting children to eat, new things or otherwise.
So, how then do you get them to like new things?
Do you ram it down their poor little throats? Sit there staring at them face to face until one of you breaks? Threaten them with no dessert until everything is eaten? NO NO and NO!
If I could give you the 4 most important bits of advice, this is what I’d say:
No pressure. If they don’t want to eat it they don’t have too. Don’t expect them to like it and you won’t pressure them…you already know they won’t!
Serve everyone the same and allow them to leave what they don’t want.
Give small portions of the new thing. Think tiny tiny tiny.
Repeat, repeat, repeat.
This is the theory of exposure. It takes 10 -15 times for you to decide whether you like something or not.
Before that, it generally rejected because it’s unknown. You can change that by presenting them with the new thing again and again and again. Until it stops being new and is now ‘familiar’ and hopefully ‘accepted’. (They do actually have to try the food for it to count as an exposure… sometimes you have to have a few goes before they’ll try it.)
Remember, no pressure. A negative experience can make food neophobia (being scared of new foods) stronger. You’ll need to work even harder if that happens.
It’s not easy. Introducing children to new foods takes patience and perseverance. Keep at it and in time your children will be eating a more varied diet…without those shrieks of agony.
FREE Healthy Eating for Children Workshop
If you’d like to know more great tips about introducing foods and feeding your children a healthy diet without stress, why not come along to my next FREE online workshop. All from the comfort of your own living room.
Dr Orlena Kerek
I am a pediatric doctor and mother of 4 small scamps. I write about helping children to eat healthily, without lots of stress and worry and do a great Course(which isn’t free). My book How to Help Your Children Eat Healthily will be out soon. It’s all about building healthy habits that last a lifetime.
Original article and pictures take www.therealisticmama.com site
Your Virtual and Vibrant Collection of Herbal Resources
I’m pretty excited about the new virtual magazine, The Herbarium, from The Herbal Academy of New England. This site is not only gorgeous, but is an amazing collection of herbal resources.
The members only website will grow with new articles, podcasts, videos, media tools and of course monographs. A subscription covers an entire year of material, dished out each and every month. New content will be uploaded monthly!
DISCLOSURE: In order for me to pay my blogging expenses, I may receive monetary compensation for my endorsement and/or link to products mentioned on this blog. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I signed up last week, and I kinda’ feel like a kid in a candy store. I don’t know where to grab first! There’s the library with articles and videos (and even a place to shop). And the monograph section which pulls together traditional herbal wisdom, hands-on experience, and modern scientific research to present a multifaceted description of each herb.
And I’m looking forward to using the forum where, as a newbie, I can ask advice and exchange information with other members. So much fun, so little time!
I even received a free eBook: Cooking with the Seasons: Fall Edition, which regularly sells for $4.99. I can’t wait to try the recipe for Hazelnut Pie Crust!
Contributors to The Herbarium are experts in the field of herbalism. Many of them are instructors at The Herbal Academy of New England. All of them are passionate about the subject and it’s reflected in the articles and other resources.
To join The Herbarium, click here. Membership is just $49 per year. (I loved The Herbarium so much that I became an affiliate. I earn a small percentage of your sign up fee which helps to pay my blogging expenses. I sincerely appreciate it).
Let me know in the comments if you sign up. I’ll look for you in the forum!
Original article and pictures take learningandyearning.com site
My four-year-old, that is. He can scarf down half a container of hummus with organic tortilla chips or carrot sticks in a flash, and I don’t have to encourage him.
We all love hummus around here, actually. For years, we’ve been buying it in the two-pack from Costco. The ingredients weren’t perfect, but through the stressful years of being broke, unemployed, in school, and moving a lot, we just called it one of our “compromise” foods – an easy and cheap source of protein that we all enjoyed.
Sure, I knew I could make my own (and that it would be cheaper and healthier), but the times I tried years ago didn’t result in the perfect texture and flavour that we were all used to, so I chose to let it go.
Recently, though, I was inspired to try again. Why? Two words: instant pot.
My instant pot has been slaving away on my countertop lately, whipping up all sorts of concoctions for my family. It’s not technically instant – I mean, there’s time for it to come up to pressure, then the actual cook time, then the pressure release – but yeah, it’s WAY faster for most things. And thus, just so darn convenient for a busy household trying to eat real food from scratch.
Hummus is incredibly cheap when you make it yourself from canned chickpeas, but when you start with the dried ones? Next level frugality, my friends (gold stars all around).
And since cooking dried beans in the instant pot is such a breeze, it makes the whole thing an easy and cheap way to cut a few dollars from my grocery bill.
Which, of course, leaves more room for the important things, like high-quality dark chocolate to stash in the high cupboards, my favourite ten-dollar jars of garlic dill pickles, and fancy aged cheeses when I feel a treat-yo’self moment coming on. (I.e. every night after the kids are asleep – hallelujah and pass the chocolate.)
During the daytime hours, though, this hummus is the real hero. It helps me fill my kids’ hollow legs (yes, plural) for cheap, and it’s quick and easy to make. #winning
Instant Pot Hummus (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Easy hummus from scratch starting with dried chickpeas in the instant pot. Finally, a homemade hummus recipe that my family all loves!
2 cups dried chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans)
Place dried chickpeas and water in the instant pot, and set on manual mode for 40 minutes with NPR (natural pressure release).
Add cooked chickpeas to a high-powered blender (I have a vitamix) with the rest of the ingredients, and blend on high until smooth.
This recipe makes quite a bit, so feel free to half the recipe if you are making it just for a few people, or if you go through hummus slowly at your house.
It also freezes fine for up to a couple of months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and stir in a small drizzle of olive oil if it has dried out at all.
Original article and pictures take redandhoney.com site
Today we begin a weekly mini series on potty training as part of the ongoing “The First Years” series on Fridays. I’m delighted to have Alina Joy from Good Old Days Farm guest posting today on infant potty training!
My first baby was exactly 90 days old when I stumbled across the idea of “Infant Potty Training” (or “Elimination Communication” as it is sometimes called). The basic concept (whether you agree with it or not) is that our babies know when they need to go to the toilet.
They don’t want to sit in their own waste any more than you or I would and so they can be trained to go potty when you place them over a toilet and cue them with a “Psssst!” sound.
“A puppy can be house trained. If your baby is at least as smart as the average puppy,” one article that I read reasoned, “then he or she can be trained to go potty.”
Well! My baby was certainly smarter than the average puppy! I decided I would give it a try! After all, mothers and babies in other countries have been potty training this way for generations!
So, I took my baby, undressed her from the waist down, held her over the potty and said, “Pssst! Go Potty!” And then it happened! There was a little tinkle, tinkle in the toilet! I excitedly called my husband into the bathroom and told him what had just happened!
“Good Girl!” he said. This particular baby had been Daddy’s Girl from Day One so for him to come in the bathroom and applaud her efforts sealed the deal. For the rest of the week, every time baby repeated her performance, Daddy came in and said, “Good Girl!” By the end of the week she was regularly using the potty and going diaper-free throughout the day.
By now she was 97 days old. We took her to church and excitedly told our friends, “We’re potty training the baby now.” Our friends laughed at what they assumed to be an over-eager, first-time parent.
“You can laugh now,” I told them, “but I’ll be the one laughing a year from now!” And I was right. By the time the baby was 18 months old, she would come to me and verbally ask to be taken to the toilet. We were finished potty training.
Contrary to that magazine article I read, I’m not suggesting that if your 3-month-old baby isn’t potty trained, he or she is not as smart as the family dog. (Come back and read my next post in a few weeks for proof!) What I am suggesting here is that for some families, Infant Potty Training is a great option!
The fact of the matter is that each family needs to consider their own circumstances. The “right” decision for one family will be different from the “right” decision for another family. Even within the same family, the potty training approach used with one baby may not be practical with the next baby.
So, what is Elimination Communication and how is it done?
Essentially, Elimination Communication is learning to read your child’s physical cues that indicate he or she has to use the bathroom. With one of my babies, she always had to empty her bladder about 10 minutes after she had nursed. My son (who has always been less scheduled than his sister!) would stiffen and hold his body a certain way when he needed to relieve himself.
Does it sound impossible to recognize your child’s signals? Think about it! How many times have you seen your baby (or even someone else’s baby) make a certain facial expression or give a certain grunt that you know means, “Oh, he’s about to do something in his pants!” When you are in close proximity to your baby it’s not hard to pick up on these cues.
(It’s not a coincidence that a lot of the cultures that toilet their babies this way also practice baby-wearing!)
When the baby indicates that they need to empty their bladder, the parent simply holds the child over an appropriate receptacle (usually a potty or a toilet) and cues them with a particular sound. I used to hold my babies over a regular toilet and say “Pssssst!” and the baby would potty into the toilet. When the babies could sit up I would sit them on a little potty on the floor.
Elimination Communication is Not the Same as Toilet Training!
“You’re baby isn’t trained, you’re the one who’s trained!” some critics said. To that I would say, “You are absolutely correct!” All parents are trained in some way or another to deal with their child’s urine and bowel movements. Most Americans are trained to change a dirty diaper.
Parents who practice elimination communication are simply trained to deal with it a few minutes earlier than parents who change diapers! My experience was that although I was the one who was trained to take my baby to the potty, by the time she reached traditional toilet-training age, she clearly understood the connection between the need to empty her bladder and the toilet. I took her to the potty until she became mobile, and once she learned to crawl and then walk she seamlessly transitioned to going potty by herself.
“Wow, that sounds like a lot of work!” other people said to me. On the contrary, I found that toileting my baby this way saved me a lot of work! I didn’t have to change diapers or clean messy bottoms. I didn’t have to carry a diaper bag around with me everywhere I went. I not only saved a ton of money on diapers, but I also saved money on creams and lotions since my baby never got diaper rashes!
In other countries (such as India and China) it is common to see mothers wearing their babies and practicing Elimination Communication. Baby clothes in these countries are designed to be easier to get the baby undressed to go potty than baby clothes here. Also, people in these countries are accustomed to seeing toddlers going potty in public and even extended family helps the little ones go potty.
Without a doubt, practicing Elimination Communication in Western Culture presents unique challenges (such as finding clothes that lend themselves to this approach)! It’s also an approach that may raise a few eyebrows.
No, it’s not an approach for everybody and if you think this approach is not for you, be sure to check back in a few weeks for my post about Potty Training in a more traditional manner. For our family, this was an approach to toilet training that was simple, it made sense for us at that time and it strengthened the bond between my baby and me.
Have I piqued your interest? You may wish to check out these more detailed posts about Infant Potty Training:
Alina Joy Dubois writes the Good Old Days Farm Blog which is the story of what happens when a software engineer (her husband!) comes home one night and out of the blue says, “I wanna be a farmer!” then actually quits his career and takes up farming! You can follow her family’s adventures in homesteading, vegan & gluten-free cooking and nature study at www.GoodOldDaysFarm.com.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this site!
Top image from pixabay.com
Original article and pictures take thehumbledhomemaker.com site
Indeed, Food Affects Behavior – Our Family’s Story
I’m not going to lie, sometimes I dream about life before we switched to a real food diet. It was so simple and easy. We would just buy pre-packaged foods and eat them. The dishes were less, the time spent in the kitchen was less, and we were blissfully unaware of the ingredients we were putting in our mouth.
It doesn’t matter where you are in your real food journey, sometimes you question if it’s worth it.
You look around and you see other people eating the Standard American Diet and they seem fine. You remember that you grew up eating the Standard American Diet and you seem fine (except for your unexplainable fatigue, constipation, insomnia, frequent sickness, infertility….).
Don’t get me wrong. There are so many advantages to eating a real food diet that we will never go back to those blissfully unaware days, but I still think about it sometimes. On those days I remember what we just went through, and it encourages me that we are on the right path.
Our Story – Food Affects Behavior
A couple months ago we had an experience with our youngest child which cemented in our minds the importance of feeding our little guys real and whole food ingredients and the undeniable link that food affects behavior.
You see, occasionally we go through periods of time where we buy compromise foods. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. Our family goal is to eat well most of the time and to not sweat it when we are at a party or enjoying fellowship at the local burger joint with the youth group.
But this particular time we bought some processed organic cheese crackers from Trader Joes. I used them to help motivate my little guy to go potty and it worked brilliantly. I wasn’t wild about the ingredients, but it was such a small part of his diet that I let it go. He would get one cheese cracker every time he used the potty. So he was getting a cracker at pretty consistent intervals through the day.
That same month that we began potty training, we also started noticing some behavioral issues in him. He became easily upsettable and would cry at the smallest thing which was unusual for him. He also developed a defiant streak (more than his regular strong-willed personality) and just generally seemed miserable. He slept less, ate less, and became slightly constipated. As the weeks went on my husband and I became more worried about him. Was he in pain but couldn’t tell us? Why was he so unhappy? We missed the giggly, silly little boy that he was.
We prayed to God asking for wisdom. Please, Lord, give us our happy child back.
Finally, one day as I was reaching for the crackers it dawned on me. The crackers started about the same time the behaviors started. I threw the box in the trash can on a whim and decided that we were done with “potty treats”.
I kid you not, within 24 hours the smiles returned. Then the next day the giggles returned. And he was back – our sweet, spunky little two-year-old.
I knew that food affected behavior, but I had no idea that one little treat like that could so dramatically affect behavior. My husband was similarly amazed. I think it was hard for us to make the connection to the crackers in the beginning because he was getting them at a consistent interval – fueling the unrest in his system, so that he never really got a break from it and we never saw a break from the behaviors.
After scanning the ingredients, I am fairly positive he was reacting to the sunflower/safflower oil. It’s not the dairy or gluten as is usually the case with food and behavior. I know this because we have done elimination diets with him in the past and he now gets dairy and limited gluten without reaction. It was something else. I think it was the oils. I’m not going to test this theory because I really don’t want to put him through that, but we will be avoiding those oils from now on, even when we are at fellowship gatherings and get-togethers.
We’re Not Alone
I’m thankful that we were able to figure this out. But it also makes me wonder how many families out there are struggling with their children’s behavior, but have written it off as “the terrible twos” or “just their personality”, when it could very well be a sensitivity to some ingredient.
I encourage you to not settle. If your child generally seems unhappy, first pray for wisdom. James 1:5 says “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” This has proven true in our lives so many times. Second, take a look in your pantry – the answer may be in there!
Ingredients that have been linked to behavior problems in kids include:
I want nothing more than for us all to have happy, healthy children, but I know it’s not always that easy. Maybe sharing our experience will help someone else!
Have you found that certain foods affect your (or your children’s) behavior? Please share!
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Original article and pictures take simplelifeabundantlife.com site
I love absolutely everything about being a parent. Almost.
It is a fact that potty training used to be my least favorite part of parenting. Nice as it was to get those kids out of diapers, it seemed that during the long days of cleaning poop off the floor and asking, “Do you need to potty?” every three minutes, it would surely be much simpler to just change diapers for the rest of my life.
But then my boys all got potty trained and grew to be taller than me and I was introduced to a new least favorite part of parenting: Teaching teenagers how to drive.
Now, I’m not a crazy freaked out mom when my kids are behind a wheel (yes I am). I certainly do not cringe and forcefully push my imaginary brake on the passenger side (yes I do). My angst over teaching teens to drive could be summed up by sharing the simple fact that we are in a moving vehicle made of metal that could smash at any time into a tree or a ditch or a Mack truck, and I am powerless to do anything about it.
Kind of makes poop on the floor seem like a welcome guest.
This summer we began the delightful journey of teaching Boy #3 to drive a car so that he can get his driver’s license when he turns 16. In Nebraska, there are two options for this. 1) Drive for 50 hours with a parent or 2) Pay $300 and spend a week at Driver’s Ed.
For Boys #1 and #2, we chose the frugal route, because we are the parents and we could teach our kids to drive for free. But of course.
However, when Boy #3 turned 15 and got his permit, I cried weary tears and asked Matt, “Can we please just pay the $300 this time and let someone else teach him how to drive?” It was the best check I’ve ever written.
So last summer, Elias spent 20 hours in a classroom learning how to drive from a book and a teacher. He didn’t love it, but someone had to make the sacrifice and I’d already done my part. After passing the 20 hours of classwork and the test of his book knowledge, he went out in a car with a great instructor who sat in the passenger seat and said nice things and didn’t slam on imaginary brakes. For six hours, Mr. Much Appreciated instructed Elias on all things driving.
In the meantime, Calgon took me away and I sipped Iced Coffee in my easy chair.
Elias returned from his 6 hours on the road with the good news that he had passed Driver’s Ed, and just like that, he would be able to walk in and get his official driver’s license on his 16th birthday.
I’m almost 101% sure that we will choose this very same option with Boy #4 when the time comes because of the iced coffee and the Calgon. But is it just me, or does anyone notice a bit of a discrepancy on the required number of hours behind a wheel which will qualify someone to be considered fit for driving independently? We’re talking 50 hours verses 6 hours. Those two numbers are not the same and also, one is much less than the other. Even if we counted the 20 hours of classroom time, which truly was beneficial, that’s still not the same as 50 hours of driving practice on the road behind a wheel.
I am forever grateful to the instructor for saving me from those hours of stress in the passenger seat. But as some other parents and I were discussing recently, “Even after taking Driver’s Ed, a kid still needs time and instruction from parents in learning how to drive so they’ll be ready to be an independent driver.”
And this, my friends, is the actual point about Jesus and Drivers Ed that I want to share with you today.
We can send our kids to Driver’s Ed and let someone else teach them many of the wonderful points they need to know about driving a car. But we parents still have a lot of work to do to prepare our kids for successful and safe driving.
This is very much like teaching our kids about Jesus.
We can take our kids to church and Bible class on Sundays and get them involved with youth group, and maybe even send them on a mission trip or two. But if we expect these very few hours each week to be all and do all in helping them learn about who Jesus is, to fill their hearts with Truth, and to learn the transforming power of prayer and surrender to God – we are sorely mistaken.
Never should we expect a classroom and a preacher to fill the role that God has placed on us as parents. Never should we consider the 3 hours per week in a church building to be “enough” when there are 106 additional awake hours each week that we should be seeking Jesus and His truth.
If we expect that going to church is enough for our lives and our kids’ lives, we should stop going to church because we’ve missed the point and forgotten who Jesus actually is and who He calls us to be.
It’s too easy to feel good about crossing to-do’s off our check list. Took the kids to church? Check. Made them go to Bible class? Check. Did a service project that one time? Check. Yep, we are a good Christian family.
Christianity isn’t a check-list. Christianity is life. Jesus is life.
Driver’s Ed? It saved my sanity. But I’ve been out in my car’s passenger seat anyway, giving my kid more driving practice so that when he turns 16 in a few days, he will actually be ready to drive on his own.
Bible class and worship services on Sundays? Can’t do with out it. But Matt and I are out in the trenches anyway, sharing Truth around our table, praying around our living room, talking constantly about who God is and what it means to live a Spirit filled life.
So this is how Drivers Ed is like Jesus. It all makes sense, and in three days, Elias turns 16, gets his license, and we will be adding a THIRD SON to our car insurance policy.
Kind of makes poop on the floor seem like a welcome guest.
Original article and pictures take heavenlyhomemakers.com site
Every single year when Asa’s birthday rolls around, my sister-in-law Kari lovingly shoots me this message, “You don’t look old enough to have a ___ year old!” This obviously moves her SIL ranking up significantly, and I will watch for these yearly messages every June from now until forever.
She has sent me that message now four handfuls of times because friends, today I have a 20 year old. Please join Kari as together you all say in unison, “You can’t possibly be old enough to have a 20 year old.”
Aww, shucks. Do you really mean it?
This is the amazing man that gave me the name “Mom” 20 years ago today. Asa John, my firstborn.
Twenty years. Four sons. The significance of what this 20-year journey has been and continues to be lands me in a place of wonderment. Sure, part of that awe results from the fact that my kids are all huge 6-foot something people and I’m way down here in the 5’s. But much of what I’m treasuring in my heart goes far beyond their physical growth during these two decades.
When I realized a few months ago that Asa’s 20th birthday was approaching, I was beautifully touched with this humble realization:
Without knowing it, Asa is the one who taught me to pray.
Through each new phase as he and his brothers have grown up together
As each new season in life approached and I looked ahead toward a myriad of unknowns
While I so often struggled to find the right words to say while training and shaping my kids’ hearts
While I fully desire for my children to choose Jesus
As I discovered over and over that my weaknesses could only be made perfect through the power of the Cross
I learned how to pray.
It’s the kind of prayer that says, “I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.” It’s the conversation with God that proclaims, “I can’t do this alone. But I trust that I can do it with You.” And it’s the surrendered heart’s cry ready to welcome the true love, peace, and joy that can only be provided by our perfect Father.
I continue to learn that if I want to live in the fullness of His peace, I have no choice but to completely trust God with my kids.
I meet Him each morning in the quiet, while all of the house is still sleeping. I wake up with coffee and Jesus, choosing a different colored mug to fill each day, praying specifically for my kids, as each mug directly represents one of my four sons. I drink in the goodness, I fill up with Truth, and I learn day after day to more fully let go of self and embrace the promises of God for my family.
Dear Asa,
On this, your 20th birthday, I say thank you. Thank you for teaching me to pray. I’m honored today to dedicate my newest book to you. I wrote it because of you…because of you and your brothers.
Asa, Justus, Elias, and Malachi – thank you for teaching me to look to our Savior as I strive to fully trust His goodness for our lives.
Dear Friends,
It is with great joy that I introduce you to The Prayer Mugs.
It is a book filled with scripture truth and parenting encouragement. Throughout its 96 pages, you’ll get to walk with me as I share precious pieces of the past 20 years of my parenting journey – the journey that is teaching me the truth about God’s faithfulness in our lives.
You can be sure that the pages of this book are lovingly stained with coffee and tears. I’m guessing you’ll find a chuckle here and there. Most importantly, my hope is that this book will land you in a place of peace as you spend time praying for your children and learn more about all God has to offer our families through His word and His promises.
The Prayer Mugs includes 96 pages with 10 detailed “Prayer Mug Lessons.” It’s full of our stories. It’s full of scripture and study questions. It’s full of specific prayer guides. It’s full of beautifully designed scripture printables.
You’ll read. You’ll dig into the Word. You’ll journal (if that’s your thing). You’ll pray, you’ll pray, you’ll pray. You will love this glorious time with God and you can be sure that your life as a parent will be changed.
It’s the kind of change that is not to be feared, but rather embraced, as time in the Word and in prayer set us free and fill us all with hope and joy!
Snag and download your copy of The Prayer Mugs. Grab your Bible. Fill your mug. Drink in the good and perfect promises of God. Release all parenting burdens and joyfully grab hold of Truth as you perfect the art of trusting the Father with your kids’ hearts and lives.
Pray. Trust. Coffee. Repeat.
It doesn’t get any better than that.
Get your copy of The Prayer Mugshere —>
Grab your mug. Fill it to the top. Download your Prayer Mugs eBook and enjoy the richness it offers as you surrender your kids to God. 96 pages filled with lessons I've learned through 20 years of parenting, scripture, encouragement, printables, journaling pages, and truth.
P.S. No one is required to drink coffee while reading this book. I hear some people don’t like coffee. This is curious but perfectly acceptable. :)
P.P.S. This book is for parents of kids from newborn to adult. Once a parent, always a parent. May we always and forever pray for our children in full faith that God is absolutely at work in their lives.
Question of the week
“Laura, where can we get cool mugs to go with this book?”
Aha! Good question. The answer is that any mugs will work – any cups that carry a special link to your child(ren).
But I’m excited to announce that you can now order these personalized mugs!
A beautiful Prayer Mug to use as you pray over your child (or children). We can do individual names on a mug OR a grouping of names - all custom printed for you. This is a 100% ceramic coffee mug in 15 oz size. They are sturdy, white, and..customized for you! And the price INCLUDES shipping*! *Due to expense, we are only able ship to US residents.Custom Information - PLEASE DOUBLE-CHECK YOUR INFOMATION before ordering:
Original article and pictures take heavenlyhomemakers.com site
A fresh and healthy triple berry kiwi smoothie that’s loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. This smoothie is a great way to boost your immune system!
We’re all so busy at this time of year, we forget to take care of ourselves sometimes, don’t we?
With lots of indoor activities, and children passing around germs, it’s easy to catch whatever’s going around. We have to remember to take care of ourselves, or we wind up run down and sick.
A healthy smoothie is a great choice for breakfast on busy days. Throw everything in the blender, give it a whirl, and you’re good to go. You don’t need a Vitamix to make a super smoothie – this blender is SO powerful, and a fraction of the price. Plus, you can add on this blend and go smoothie jar, which is really convenient. (affiliate links)
This one is full of antioxidants and vitamin C from all the berries and fresh kiwi. Did you know that one kiwi has over 100% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C? And it has a rare form of vitamin E that’s fat-free.
The three types of berries are also excellent for immunity as well since they are full of vitamin C and bioflavonoids. Eating a variety of berries is very good for you as you get a variety of antioxidants. The darker the berries, the more antioxidants they contain. You could also add some blackberries to this smoothie if you want.
I used orange juice for added vitamin C and calcium, but you could use water or even cranberry juice if you prefer.
Tips for making this triple berry smoothie:
If you find that your frozen berries or the kiwi are too tart, you can add a little maple syrup or honey to sweeten this if needed, or any sweetener that works for your diet.
Occasionally frozen strawberries are on the tart side – so if fresh fruit is in season, you can use that instead if you prefer!
If you wanted to add more antioxidants and iron, you could even throw some fresh kale or spinach in here. It shouldn’t change the flavor, but it will change the color – it won’t be such a vibrant shade of deep pink.
You can also add chia seeds, flax seed meal, or hemp seed hearts (affiliate links) if you are interested in adding some protein and healthy fats to this smoothie. I didn’t choose to do that this time, but it’s a great option if you want this to have more staying power between meals.
This is a beautiful smoothie to enjoy whether you’re sick or well. It’s the perfect breakfast or snack.
What are your favorite natural remedies for a cold?
