I've often thought about the neat mother-daughter things Autumn and I can do as she gets older. I've thought about teaching her how to knit or crochet. Making Christmas cookies with her. Working side-by-side on our respective scrapbooks. Taking her to plays or concerts. (I know that last one could be quite a long way away, but I can dream.)
So imagine my surprise when the latest BabyZone newsletter some children show an interest in cooking as young as 2.
Wow.
I can't imagine bringing Autumn into the kitchen, and she'll be two in another month. I suppose she could help me if I was mixing by hand. Or she could, possibly, add sprinkles. But 2 still seems awfully young. We'll see.
In the BabyZone article, they say "While it can be hard to relax and let your child jump in and help, it’s important to think about the big picture rather than the crumbs on the floor." Obviously these people have never been in my house or they would know I wasn't that concerned with crumbs on the floor.
Who knows, though... maybe this Christmas I'll make some cutout cookies. Maybe I'll give Autumn a little bowl of icing and some cookies to cut out herself. Maybe I'll give her a shaker of sprinkles to add on top. Sure, we'll make a mess, but that's why there's a vacuum. I'm thinking now of the fun this could be and of plenty of pictures of her hands and nose covered with frosting. But if there's one thing I'm taking away from this newsletter, it's this: "Messes can always be cleaned up, but memories last a lifetime."
If you'd like to read the whole piece, click here.