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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Baking with children. AIBU to just not 'get' it?

94 replies

funkypigeon · 01/07/2013 20:48

A mum I met recently said she thought baking is 'such an important thing to do'

Can't bear it personally. I just feel anxious the whole time, the mess just gets out of hand and it ends up a stress-fest, really.

Gah, AIBU??

OP posts:
Original poster
funkypigeon · 01/07/2013 21:09

My mum did a lot of baking with me when I was little, and it's such a fond memory. I like baking now, too and I'm quite good at it (most of the time, burnt offerings occasionally).

But every time I try with the DCs I feel like saying get out of the way you're doing it wroooonnngg, I want to do it!!

OP posts:
badguider · 01/07/2013 21:09

I love it.. but then I totally HATE imaginative play and refuse to play make believe beyond the most basic going along with a 'yes dear' Grin.

Everybody's better at some stuff than others.

FrancesFarmer · 01/07/2013 21:10

I hate it. I'm a complete control freak in the kitchen and I can't stand the mess kids make.

TheCountessOlenska · 01/07/2013 21:12

I fairly loathe it, but must admit it's improving since Dd turned 3. YANBU anyway!

Sirzy · 01/07/2013 21:12

Instead of baking why not make something like pizza with them? You make the base then set out the toppings they can put on them?

If they are old enough they can help prepare the toppings.

Harryhairypig · 01/07/2013 21:13

Mine fight like buggery whenever I've tried to cook with them together, so can only do it one at a time, and then the other one gets naffed off so its all just a trial. But they do get so much satisfaction from it that I really must make more effort to fit cooking time in.

Original poster
funkypigeon · 01/07/2013 21:13

badguider

Grin
OP posts:
TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 01/07/2013 21:14

DS and I do 'parallel' cooking. I make the actual food, he works alongside on his own potions and concoctions. Which always strangely disappear overnight into the green bin.

He does do cooking at nursery / with nanny / with Daddy.

Original poster
funkypigeon · 01/07/2013 21:15

Pizza, that's a good idea. Although I fear our 'toppings' would be cheese and er tomato. Smile

OP posts:
MacaYoniandCheese · 01/07/2013 21:16

Awww...I love baking with children. I loathe crafts so baking is my go-to 'good-mummy' activity even though I am clenching my teeth the entire time and have the vacuum plugged in, by my feet, for immediately hoovering up the massive quantities of flour that will be dumped on the floor. Plus, when I bake on my own, I use many frowned-upon shortcuts which makes baking with kids take about eighteen times longer, which makes the red mist descend. Who am I kidding? Baking with children sucks. Don't do it unless you've had a full-night's sleep and/or are drunk.

TheCountessOlenska · 01/07/2013 21:16

Ah now I don't mind imaginative play at all - think we should be allowed to do what we enjoy with themSmile

quirrelquarrel · 01/07/2013 21:18

To be honest, when I bake with my cousins (the very few times I've ever done that....) I still feel like a kiddy myself and have to keep myself from resenting the fact that I have to give them the most fun tasks to do! Grin

My mum didn't often bake with me- if she did, it was strictly under the heading of 'helping' and I didn't necessarily get the nice bits to do. Much better imo- kids sense when it's all manufactured and for their sake. I guess it gave me more of a sense of contribution- it was a partnership, not a kid-friendly activity- and if you want to feel grownup, it's not the latter you'd prefer. She did loads of other stuff with me but didn't care that much about baking. Who does care, not that important!

mrsjay · 01/07/2013 21:18

see now crafts used to send me twitchy the thought of glitter and tissue paper and those beady craft sets mum used to buy them at christmas Angry that imo is what nursery and school was for

BastardDog · 01/07/2013 21:20

Cooking with them I can just about bear. They both love it. Ds is better at it. Dd gets very stressed (she's got OCD). TBH dealing with her stress is not worth the resulting smashed up jam tarts or underdone bread rolls.

Craft I never did get the blue glitter from between the floor tiles.

Original poster
funkypigeon · 01/07/2013 21:20

See I quite like imaginative play. Perhaps I should hone those skills and forget the baking. Or make pizza with shop bought base

OP posts:
mrsjay · 01/07/2013 21:22

do what you feel comfy with dont beat yourself up play with her read to her or whatever else you like doing and just buy cake Grin

imademarion · 01/07/2013 21:24

Don't do it unless you've had a full-night's sleep and/or are drunk.

I came on here all puffed up with righteous 'it's a ducking life skill, learning to bake and cook'- ery and saw ^^ that.

Laughed and lost the ire.

50BalesOfHay · 01/07/2013 21:32

Half a ciabatta makes ace pizza base.

FunLovinBunster · 01/07/2013 21:44

Hate it. If DD wants to bake I take her to my parents, and she cooks with my mum.
Hate bloody crafting.
Hate bloody imaginative play.
I am a terrible mother, obviously.

MrsPennyapple · 01/07/2013 21:51

DD is almost 2, and I just can't bring myself to attempt baking with her just yet, although obviously some people do start before that.

It's a combination of factors putting me off - the reaching-the-worktop logistics followed by the inevitable I-dropped-the-spoon-and-am-now-too-high-up-to-reach-it problems (obviously when my hands are covered with stuff that I then have to wash off - repeated every ten seconds), the wasted ingredients, the mess ...

I'm aware that sooner or later I will have to grit my teeth and do it, but I can hold off a bit longer, right?

Growlithe · 01/07/2013 21:55

Yes I am a control freak too, so find it hard to really let them go without snatching it back off them Grin

Also, I enjoy cooking rather than baking, and sort of believe it's better to get them interested in actual meals rather than cakes and stuff.

2kidsintow · 01/07/2013 21:57

Depends on the age.

Baking helps them develop their language (reading a recipe), maths (weighing/measuring, adding, temp scales, time) and science. As well as health and safety. BUT, they have to be at the age to be ready to do those things.

SacreBlue · 01/07/2013 21:58

funky if imaginative play is more your thing then the whole 'mashed potato as volcano with baked bean lava' might be a bit more up your street.

My Dsis is a whizz at baking, I'm more meat and two veg - if you know what I mean Grin

Or go with the baking soda volcano thing instead?

GladbagsGold · 01/07/2013 21:58

I hate baking with 2 DC. With 1 it is much easier. Don't actually enjoy it though...

MrsOakenshield · 01/07/2013 22:00

I never baked with my mum (she was crap at baking) but we did learn to cook and helped her from probably around 7/8 ish, and unlike many friends could knock up a number of proper meals when we started uni. So I don't think not liking baking with your DC (you don't say how old they are) is going to mean they won't ever be able to cook for themselves.

I don't bake much with DD (3.5) because it just me and her to eat the cakes (DH not into cake) and it just seems like such a lot of cake to have about! Anyway, she only likes chocolate cake which is one that I can never get right. She helps make pesto and scrambled eggs so not the end of the world.

As for fecking craft - that's what nursery is for!

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