to wonder if anyone really enjoys baking with their children?

[Twiceover]

I've made fairy cakes with DTs (nearly 4) this morning. In my head it's going to be a lovely activity where we chat whilst gaily measuring out ingredients and mixing them together. In reality, they argue over who's going to crack the eggs first, who's going to put which ingredients in the bowl, who's going to put which sprinkles on. I have to stop them eating all the mixture before I can get it in the cake tray. While the cakes are cooking they ask if they're ready yet approx every 30 seconds. Aaargh! They do enjoy it though and they're always very proud of the finished, sprinkle-crammed product.

Hmm....I don't mind baking with the kids (7 and 2). Like someone up thread said, it is a million times preferable to pretending to be a dog/horse/pirate/fairy for freaking hours on end

One or t'other or both help with dinner most days. 7 year old can pretty much cook unaided now

I'm glad it's not just me then! I have just about regained my equilibrium after this morning and the kitchen is pretty much back to normal. I like the idea of proper cooking though, it hadn't really occurred to me to try that but I'll have a look at the I can Cook website so thanks to whoever suggested that. If When we bake again, I will also try separate bowls - it might be twice the mess but should at least be half the arguing?

Yes we do proper cooking lots. It's actually helpful as they are occupied and I can get on. When we make risotto for example I get on with cooking onions/ garlic/ herbs/ stock and rice, and they chop mushrooms either into 101 pieces or throw the odd one in whole!! Makes an interesting meal anyway as we get large mushrooms and mushroom 'crumbs'

Also things like coated fish or meat where I can just lay out bowls of flour, egg and breadcrumb/ polenta and they generally dip in right order

I'm not keen. For a while I would just let them loose on the decorating of fairy cakes but now they're a bit older I try and get them (or ideally just one of them - less arguing that way) to do all of it while I supervise. It's hard for me to butt out but then I'm like that if my DH cooks too ! (I have to keep well out the way ideally.) He's much better at baking with the kids than I am though, not that it happens very often mind.

I'd really rather be left alone tbh

I think I only just recovered after 5 years from baking Christmas cookies with 3 2.5 year olds.

I find it a bit stressful. DD has quite a short attention span so I do most of the mixing. Putting mixture in paper cases frustrates me as she doesn't really understand about getting about the same amount in each and her aim is a bit off. She likes putting sprinkles on afterwards. I think I am a bit anal when it comes to cake making. Weirdly DD doesn't actually like cake and can be a bit hit and miss with biscuits, so it also seems like a waste to make stuff. She seems to bake about twice a week at nursery, which I really approve of.

I have been baking with my 2 since they were 3 & 2, they are now 5 & 3.

I have found biscuits & breads better than cakes as I can leave them with the biscuit dough and thousands of cutters (looks at trays of tiny gingerbread leaves) or they can knead the bread dough to their hearts contents.

I have to unclench and will generally make a cake or something while they are messing with the dough.

I love baking with my three older ones (7, 5 & 3). Everyone gets a turn at each bit and the 3 year old is really good, much better than his older brothers! But it probably helps that I don't mind a mess and don't mind if it doesn't quite work. Gets more stressful when my mum also joins in, she hates mess and needs it all to be done exactly right and the same way she would do it, she's a proper backseat baker .

ughh, I can't stand it. Constant nose picking and trying to touch the food again. I have never eaten a thing they've cooked for fear of catching something.

TBH we hardly ever cook together but I've minimised the hassle by giving them their own dough and a baking tray each so they only eat what they touch and cook. I get my own batch of non-mauled food that I put together once their finished .

they're