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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to ask if you bake with your children

213 replies

Leavingsosoon · 25/10/2015 14:58

And if so, why?

I've recently joined Facebook. I was on it ages ago, came off and now on again as am trying to meet people and so on.

My friends have nearly all got photos of baking with their children up there.

Explain why this is part of childhood! I don't understand ...

OP posts:

TimeToMuskUp · 25/10/2015 15:52

I bake with mine often and they cook meals with me at least 3 nights a week. They just enjoy being in the kitchen, and seem to have picked up decent cookery skills so far (they're 10 and 4). The 10 year old can bake pretty well now, and the 4 year old loves weighing and measuring stuff (DH is a maths whizz and so far he 4 year old appears to be following his footsteps) so we go with it.

I run a cookery club at my school so am pretty comfortable cooking, and have always strongly believed that children should learn as much about the food they're eating as possible, so without really thinking about it I've pushed that onto them I suppose.

BrandNewAndImproved · 25/10/2015 15:53

My 9 year old bakes cakes and uses YouTube to help decorate them whilst I MN and watch telly.

She cleans up after herself as well

Both my dc really like baking and yy whoever said it happens on good parenting days.

froggyjump · 25/10/2015 15:55

If you were to look at my FB, there was a 'baking with kids' post last weekend, but it was -

what I always imaging baking with kids will be like (pic of DS3 concentrating on rolling cookies in oats)

vs what always happens (pic of bomb site kitchen, while DS3 is playing lego)

the end results were nice, though, after I had finished clearing up!

I should know better by now after 3 DS's and a time scale of 16 years. DS1(16) is not at all interested in cooking, DS2 (14) can make decent pasta meals etc and DS3 likes eating cake....

PeppaWellington · 25/10/2015 15:55

IHaveBrilloHair · 25/10/2015 15:57

I never did as I hate baking and dd wasn't fussed.
I still hate baking, but am a great cook, weirdly, dd is a fab baker, no idea where she gets it from

Tarzanlovesgaby · 25/10/2015 15:57

we bake most weekends.
from bread, rolls to cakes and waffles.
still have to work on the cleaning up

yesterday it was caramel buns.

AIBU to ask if you bake with your children

neverputasockinatoaster · 25/10/2015 16:00

I bake with my two and have since they were small. My favourite picture of Ds is one where he is standing on a stool in the kitchen, hands in my mixing bowl, with two perfect flour handprints on his black joggers where he'd gone to wipe his hands but remembered not to just as he touched the fabric. (Scones were being made that day!)

Both my children have an ASC so they leave te kitchen when I use the mixer as they cannot stand the noise but they help with measuring etc and spooning inot bun cases. DD especially likes to decorate but has yet to refine her technique and basically empties the contents of the sprinkles cupboard onto the cakes!

We like making biscuits too and they love choosing what cutters to use.

They are both a bit of a liability in the kitchen but we are trying to look at simple cooking skills and I am confident they will always be able to whip up a batch of fairy cakes in about 30 mins total and who doesn't like a fairy cake?

Fizrim · 25/10/2015 16:02

I used to bake every Saturday with my mum. We also bake, mainly because we like cake! DD specifically asked if we could bake during the half term, and also likes doing cookery or baking days/workshops as well despite being able to do the same thing at home for a smidgeon of the cost

Baking was also mentioned as being good for maths skills (weighing) in infant school. I still prefer the 'we like cake' excuse better!

TimeToMuskUp · 25/10/2015 16:02

Peppa don't feel too disheartened, DS2 (4) made hot cross buns earlier this year. I left the dough proving in the kitchen while I had a mug of wine tea. Came back to the kitchen to find DS2 and our spaniel sat on kitchen chairs, sharing the raw dough between them. The stuff was everywhere, in fact if you look closely at the chairs there's still little dried bits of dough that I've given up trying to scrape off. My children love to cook, but cook like they've taken acid, launching stuff about and screaming with laughter as they destroy the place. I live in hope that they're learning life skills. They're highly likely just learning to be asshats.

Original poster

Leavingsosoon · 25/10/2015 16:05

I think I always worry about it ending up like yours Peppa!

I guess I'm just wondering what's fun about it - not meant rudely, but then I can't cook and don't find it very interesting; the idea of enjoying it WITH a child messing everything up, especially a preschool child, is

(I do other things with them but I've never latched onto the enjoyment of cooking or baking.)

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Sgtmajormummy · 25/10/2015 16:07

When the kids were small we did it a lot (DD learned the days of the week as "Bunday, Tuesday, Wednesday..."). Just simple things like scones or yoghurt cake or jam tarts. It kept them interested and creative while I got on with other jobs in the kitchen. I also felt like I was passing on family traditions as my mother's family used to own a bakery.

BUT THEN.... Along came all the fuss about cupcakes and cream cheese icing and sprinkles and cake-pops. All the fiddly stuff that I just can't be doing with, and the yummy mummies posting their creations on Facebook.

It's turned into performance parenting, hasn't it?

Original poster

Leavingsosoon · 25/10/2015 16:08

My cooking is shite to be fair

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TinklyLittleLaugh · 25/10/2015 16:10

I baked with mine when they were small. I am happily mumsnetting while DD(16) and her bestie put the finishing touches to a batch of 24 Halloween fairy cakes. They have also tidied the kitchen after them. Not a bad pay off.

Artandco · 25/10/2015 16:14

Yes. As babies they came in kitchen every day when we prepped meals and baked and just watched/ held a spoon. As they grew it gradually developed by age.

It's great now they are 4 and 5 as they are actually helpful and pretty good at stuff. I can now leave them both with a recipe and eldest will read and they measure and mix ingredients. I just put in and out oven. They made vanilla almond cookies yesterday.

They also help almost every day with most food prep. They help chop and mix ingredients and watch how to do things. I don't want them to become adults who are useless in the kitchen.
They are making lamb and mint burgers and tzaziki at the moment for dinner later with fil in kitchen .

It seems daunting at first I suppose but you have to start somewhere. Teach them things like washing hands straight after roughing raw meat especially ( then they can make meatballs. It's like edible play dough!)

RB68 · 25/10/2015 16:15

great skills, reading recipes, measuring out, understanding the science of baking and what you can mess with in a recipe, how to cook without a recipe/scales (e.g. using cups or creating scales so weigh eggs and then weigh all other ingredients equal for sponge etc) working together, using "proper" utensils and the mixer. Getting to be involved and important and decorating by self. DD has been baking since she could stand at the counter and could turn out fairy cakes by herself from 4 ( well we put them in the oven) she is getting more versatile and loves cookery programs. If you discuss meals with her she comes up with reasonable suggestions and for most things can tell you what you need to do - although as we have an Aga its hard for her to have a go at meals as she can't even lift the lid on it!

Original poster

Leavingsosoon · 25/10/2015 16:15

Vegetarian :)

OP posts:

LittleLionMansMummy · 25/10/2015 16:16

Yes. Ds isn't really an artsy/ crafty boy but loves rolling him sleeves up and helping with all kinds of cooking. It's great in the autumn and winter when it's pouring down with rain, he can't go out and we've run out of ideas to keep him busy. We enjoy doing it together and it's a way to encourage his creativity too (as he's otherwise nit interested). Plus it's a life skill. I don't want him growing up into a useless man who uses not being able to cook as an excuse for expecting his girlfriend/ wife to do everything for him. I can't bear men who are incapable of cooking.

Original poster

Leavingsosoon · 25/10/2015 16:17

Sorry, X posts!

But genuinely, how do toddlers/preschoolers understand weighing and measuring? How do they see st the kitchen counter?

I honestly don't see the fun in it (just personal view, not criticising.)

OP posts:

Ragwort · 25/10/2015 16:19

I guess we all like doing different things with our children - I've always enjoyed cooking so baking together was a fun activity to do - and a useful skill for everyone to learn plus the results of nice cakes etc.

But there are lots of things I can't stand doing with my child that other people find easy/enjoyable - I never got the enjoyment about watching childrens' tv or a film together or building lego or other tedious activities. .

Babyroobs · 25/10/2015 16:19

I've spent half the weekend helping my dd to assemble a blooming IKEA Gingerbread house and decorate it, it has driven me half crazy ! Not proper baking I know. I did more when my kids were small, my dh tends to do it more now as he enjoys it, wheras I get a bit stressed.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 25/10/2015 16:20

DS1 is 12 and baked two different types of fairy cakes for our weekend visitors so that saved me a job.
It's fun provided you can step back and accept a bit of mess and a slightly "artisan" result. It gives DC a huge sense of achievement with a tangible and enjoyable result. They bake their own reward.
YY to the sneaky maths and science

Also DC want to do stuff with you, they want to feel competent and grown up. Cooking is an adult task that children can do which makes it even more fun.

Ragwort · 25/10/2015 16:20

Most toddlers can understand numbers ........ ie: two eggs, or showing them the measurement lines on a jug etc.

ShutTheFuckUpBarbara · 25/10/2015 16:20

I love baking so it feels natural to share it with DD, and she loves it. She got really good at breaking eggs, no bits of shell or anything, and she is 4. I had to show DH how to break eggs when I met him because MIL used to do everything for him

steff13 · 25/10/2015 16:21

I love to bake, and my kids like to do what I'm doing. Baking and cooking are life skills, and they are all about math and science. Plus, cookies.

My daughter has a stool in the kitchen to help her stand at the counter; same as how she washes her hands in the bathroom.

Original poster

Leavingsosoon · 25/10/2015 16:22

So do people enjoy baking already and share that with their child? I think that's the part I'm missing!

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