Kitchen Counter Confidence

How involving my kids in meal-prepping has boosted their self-esteem

The secondborn and her cinnamon-oat pancake with whipped cream and honey, which she considered a success / Photo taken by author

The kitchen counter has evolved into a learning hub in our home. Where I used to set up sensory invitations-to-play for the kids in the afternoon, these days meal-prepping and treats-making are sufficient — if not, a more enriching experience than makeshift hands-on play just so I can get things done.

Don’t get me wrong. Most days I still turn on the TV as I cook. It is part of co-regulation, especially when I’m mentally drained from one thing or another. But when I do get them involved in the kitchen mess, the kids cooperate and gain a sense of pride in sharing the byproduct of their sensory labor with other family members. There’s just something about creating a dish from scratch and tasting it well that cements an internal sense of reward.

Working hands are the best teachers.

We do have helpers to clean the house. It is the form of luxury I chose in exchange for the time I get to spend with the girls. As a stay-at-home mom, I treasure the way we slow down amidst our fast-paced city lives — how, still disheveled from their tucked-out school uniforms, they stoop down to peel potatoes and knead boba dough as conversations we wouldn’t have otherwise begin to pour forth organically…