Baking Christmas cookies? Ugh. Yet another impossible motherhood standard that I flunked last year. I expected it to go like this:
Obviously, real life is not like that cheesy picture. Elizabeth "helped" by screaming and jamming cookie cutters into lumps of dough (ready or not) and I lost my patience within 10 minutes. She spent the rest of our mother/daughter baking time parked in front of The Polar Express while I finished the cookies in peace.
I daresay we were both happier that way.
This year, E wanted to help with the cookies again. And since she's 4, I gave her another shot. She can at least stir, right?
She stood on a stool next to me while I melted butter on the stove, and then I let her stir while I poured oatmeal in. Everything was lovely until she decided to grab the hot pan.
Luckily the heat was on low and she barely touched the thing, so no major damage done. AND she got to break out the special Cinderella ice pack (Target, $1.99) and rub the thing on pretend boo-boos all over her body.
Rather than beat my head off the counter trying to find 100 different cookie related tasks for her and listen to, "What can I do? What can I do? WHAT CAN I DO?" every 25 seconds, I came up with a brilliant idea: Let her wash the dishes.
It's genius, internets! What preschooler doesn't love splashing around in bubble water? I let her wash anything she wanted to, even the dirty mixing bowl.
I cracked the code to this Christmas cookie crap, fellow moms.
Your welcome.
13 comments:
That is genius! I tried baking with McKenna last weekend. It went something like this:\
Me: McKenna, here's some chocolate chips. You can eat them (while I do everything)
Mack: I don't wanna eat them.
Me: Okay, then just play with them. BUT WHATEVER YOU DO...don't drop them on the floor for Rusty. He'll get sick if he eats them.
2.45 seconds later. Chocolate chips all up on my kitchen floor.
I fired her. I picked up the chips and then filled her bowl with a bit of water and let her "stir" with a whisk.
Maybe next year, right?
You are hilarious! I've been tempted many times to leave you comments....but I never did....but today...honey, you are a riot!! You say all the things I'm thinkin' but am to chicken to blurt out! GREAT BLOG!! Finally, an honest person.......I love it!!
I love it! Every mom in the universe has had a similar scenario unfold in their kitchen!! Too stinkin' funny :)
She looks so adorable and grown up!!!
Completely fabulous!!!
You are a freakin' genius!!! And she is just as cute as she can be!!
You clever girl! Filing this one under helpful hints for the future...meanwhile, I think those rollout cookies are evil. They *never* turn out the right consistency when I attempt them. At least you keep trying...I think I'll probably be bakery-bound.
ha ha, she looks like she's having so much fun. How cute :)
Kudos to you, Mom!
You are a genius! I just tried this with my seven year old and it worked! We made it about 10 minutes of stirring and helping me measure before I had hit my limit of repeating "please don't mix that yet, please don't stick your fingers into that yet, etc". So I started the water in the sink and set her to work. She asked for more dishes to wash LOL.
yes; genius. It's all about finding something little for them to do, that makes them feel big!
I thought the secret was just eating all the dough. This whole dishes thing sounds pretty good though.
Finally, someone admits that baking helpers aren't all they're cracked up to be!
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