Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
SoftSheen · 25/10/2015 20:24

-It's a fun thing to do together
-The results are sometimes good to eat
-Cookery is an important life skill for children to learn
-A good opportunity to learn about weights and measures etc
-A sensory play opportunity for younger children
-Helps children learn to follow instructions...

WhoisLucasHood · 25/10/2015 20:24

I cannot bake cakes but I can pass off a ready mix as my own Wink. I've started making biscuits with the kids and we're getting quite good at it, they love it.

LaContessaDiPlump · 25/10/2015 20:25

Skim-read thread - I bake, the kids insist on pulling up the chair and 'helping'. I enjoy the process despite their assistance Grin

dyouthinkhesaurus · 25/10/2015 20:25

"I wondered if people enjoyed it and it seems that they do, but because the enjoy baking themselves and so doing with with their children extends that pleasure. I on the other hand hate baking."

Nope. Wrong.

I never bake without the kids (except for annual birthday cakes) the fun is ALL in doing it with them.

They made their own cheese scones yesterday for tea - cut them out with a little star-shaped cutter so there were little star-shaped scones. Took about 20 mins all in all for them to make their own home-made dinner without any added crap.

I am the least domestic-goddessy type person out there but I can't understand how you can't understand why they'd enjoy it. Don't your children enjoy being creative/doing craft/painting? It's similar to that.

HippyPottyMouth · 25/10/2015 20:26

I don't bake much with DD(2), but tomorrow I've got a day off with her and we're going to make Daddy a birthday cake. She will have fun stirring, eating the mixture, maybe putting spoonfuls of ingredients in, and will start to learn how cooking works and that it's nice to make things for people. I will be reaching for the gin bottle as soon as DH gets home from work. It won't be as relaxing as pottering round the kitchen on my own, but it needs doing and she'll be with me, so she can help, like she does with other household tasks. I hope it will be fun. I am also a crap mother who gets bored with playing with toys very quickly, so every time I have her on my own all day, we have lots of possible activities planned in advance, to minimise the time spent drawing endless cats and unsticking stiff sticklebricks for her. (Daddy is good with cats and sticklebricks. )

knittingwithnettles · 25/10/2015 20:28

Leaving, you have a point.

My two sons hate cooking, as they hate the feel of the flour and grease and cannot stir properly or cut very well due to autistic/dyspraxic traits. They are also anxious about burning themselves or dropping stuff, as this has happened inevitably. They never showed the slightest interest as children, except ds2 who once enjoyed making macaroni cheese with me and grating cheese (still does). They also hate airfix, painting, drawing and any sort of craft activity. They love all the other things you have on your list (except possibly History!)

Dd only likes baking with her friends and learnt in school. She does it as an independent activity not because she enjoyed doing with me, alas.

I used to love baking and cooking as a child and teenager/adult and cooked my way through cookbooks, literally recipe by recipe. But I never remember doing it with my mother. It was something I enjoyed working out for myself.

However, I am going to try a bit harder with the boys, as they enjoy eating cake so there is a bit more incentive now Grin

knittingwithnettles · 25/10/2015 20:33

One of the first things I did with ds2 when I started home educating him was to bake some biscuits with him. I used a big step by step children's cook book with lots of colourful pictures of what we doing, and planned to ice them afterwards. I think the only bit he did willingly was to mix the food colouring into the icing..he just HATED it..He couldn't mix, them he could weigh the ingredients, he couldn't roll them, he could just about cut out the shapes but then he couldn't lift them onto the tray without them breaking..honestly it was a minefield, I never realised cooking was so impossible Shock He took a photo though of his creations - he liked that bit Smile and ate most of them..

Original poster
Leavingsosoon · 25/10/2015 20:34

No, they aren't really crafty kids. Well, my eldest isn't - the other two are too young. He enjoys painting and things at school but not at home.

I have a GCSE in home ec, but am still a shite cook. I've forgotten most of what I learned when I was younger and find the maths difficult.

OP posts:
stoppingbywoods · 25/10/2015 20:48

You're welcome, Leaving. I should have realised when you started a thread about something inquiring how to do it, you didn't actually want to know how to do it...

Original poster
Leavingsosoon · 25/10/2015 20:51

Without wanting to be pedantic, I didn't actually enquire how to do it. I also did ask you a question Smile but do try to start an argument if you wish.

OP posts:
stoppingbywoods · 25/10/2015 20:55

No I don't want to start an argument at all! Just found you rather rude.

I crack an egg that way because I know no other way...leaving the thread now to do something more enjoyable than discuss egg cracking techniques.

Bea · 25/10/2015 20:56

God no!! Very rarely!!
I love baking and it's my quiet time in the kitchen... Radio 4 on... The Archers (grrr!! Rob bloody tichner!! ) lovely!!
If I bake with them... It's messy! Noisy!! And they're eating all the mixture /choc /cookie dough! Argghh!
No way!!
Just me and nigella and a comedy / drama on the radio!!
I'm a baaaaad mother!!! Grin

minimalist000001 · 25/10/2015 20:57

I think you should try it this week. Find a nice recipe and cook together. Them report back on how you found the experience.

dyouthinkhesaurus · 25/10/2015 21:04

Sorry, OP, I missed that you were on the spectrum.

It's just one of those things some people enjoy - we're all different, different people enjoy different things.

Original poster
Leavingsosoon · 25/10/2015 21:05

It certainly wasn't intended rudely. I genuinely wondered if this was a technique everybody did and I had never heard of!

Me too Bea

It really isn't my thing st all minimalist. I'm on a diet anyway :)

OP posts:
Original poster
Leavingsosoon · 25/10/2015 21:06

Woah, offensive much? I'm not on the spectrum that I know of, although my brother was and its a pretty mean way of trying to insult someone. I don't understand why not liking baking means I'm on the spectrum in any case Hmm

It's a very common thing for parents to do with their children - I don't, as I don't enjoy it, so wondered what the appeal was.

That's it. No need for arguments and rudeness. None.

OP posts:
CinderellaRockefeller · 25/10/2015 21:07

We very rarely do baking, because what the hell do you do with a huge cake, or tin of biscuits? Only three of us in the family, so either you eat the whole lot or it goes in the bin, and that much cake isn't good for anyone.

We cook a bit and DD enjoys doing pasta and things. But I don't really want to encourage a habit of baking sugary calorie filled treats all the time. We have them, but we buy by the slice when we're out, then it's one treat and it's done.

I have no idea why people like Mary Berry aren't absolute whales. I would be if I baked all the time.

dyouthinkhesaurus · 25/10/2015 21:09

Shock MASSIVE apologies Leavingsosoon, I'm reading two thread simultaneously and got my OPs confused Flowers

yeOldeTrout · 25/10/2015 21:09

Feed oldies around the corner who don't get enough visitors, Cinderella?

I have teenagers in the house & DH does competitive cycling. Strangely enough, we don't have trouble finishing off the baked goods.

Original poster
Leavingsosoon · 25/10/2015 21:13

Any sweet produce in this house wouldn't touch the sides Smile

Thanks doyou - very gracious of you Flowers

OP posts:
NewLife4Me · 25/10/2015 21:14

Me and dd love baking.
It started about 4 years ago when we started H.ed and foremost it was a way of practising maths and lots of fun.

Now she still loves it, and does it for fun. But now she's back at school just the odd weekend and holidays.
It's lovely to see something you have made together and even better if it's turned out well and tastes good.
Tomorrow we are making Christmas cakes.

We also cook together too, when we can.

Dancergirl · 25/10/2015 21:14

I bake with my 8 year old, she really enjoys it.

Just a question - who chooses what you bake, you or your dc? Dd wants to make the same things all the time, usually involving chocolate! I want to branch out a bit more.

Bea · 25/10/2015 21:17

I think in all honesty... I'm a complete control freak.... Gah!! You're using the wrong spoon!! Noooo!! Stir this way!! And so on and so on!! Blush

Original poster
Leavingsosoon · 25/10/2015 21:19

I think that's why I don't like cooking and baking. Mess, and effort, and washing up. And it just gets eaten Grin

OP posts:
NewLife4Me · 25/10/2015 22:11

Leaving

It's so nice to share something you have made though and dd likes giving things to friends.
We both share the washing up and tidying up.

Dancergirl

My dd chooses lots of chocolatey, sweet things and I offer recipes for biscuits, and savoury snacks.
How about cheese puffs, seeded bread, pastry based flans and tarts that you can use savoury fillings.