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Organizing: Children in the Kitchen

image By Professional Organizer Lea Schneider

Having your child pull up a stool in the kitchen to help you can be fun but, let's be honest, it can also be frustrating.

Getting organized in the kitchen makes it possible to work with your child to teach skills and have a great time.

Here are some of my favorite tips for getting organized and creating a child friendly kitchen.

Always begin with a cleared countertop. Spilling things on the mail or work papers is bound to ruin your day. Clear out the clutter so you can easily wipe off things.

Fill the sink with warm soapy water. Teach your child that the first kitchen task is to wash their hands - every single time. A sink of water makes for easy clean up of spills and gives you a way to soak dishes as you cook, paring down the mess.

Invest in a sturdy step-stool for your child. It is dangerous to stand on a chair, especially in a kitchen with hot appliances, boiling pots and slick tile floors.

Use a rimmed baking sheet under mixing bowls. If batter dribbles out of the bowl while mixing, the baking sheet will contain it.

Clear a lower cabinet and store all your child's plastic dishes and silverware there. They can help empty the dishwasher and set their own place setting.

Concentrate on what your child can do in each task. For example, they may not be able to make a whole salad but they can stand at the sink and wash the vegetables. They can tear the lettuce into bits. There are some things that they can cut with a plastic knife, such as tomatoes.

If you don't want them involved in your dish, for example baking a pie for company, let them make their own tiny dish. Give them a ramekin and a bit of dough to make their own tiny pie while you work on your pie.

Always end cooking with shared responsibility. Cooking with you is fun but part of cooking is cleaning up. Little ones can and should be asked to put their dishes and spoons into the sink of soapy water. They can take a sponge and wipe off the counter and wash their hands. Yes, you might have to go over it again but you are teaching life lessons. One of those big lessons is "clean up your own mess where ever you go!"