make a kid-friendly kitchen without a major renovation

 

 

 

Growing up, I always remember my mom saying that she always wanted her four girls to be comfortable in the kitchen.

She wanted us to bake, cook, learn, have fun, and take risks–and for as long as I can remember, that’s what we did. I always knew I wanted to do the same exact thing with my kids one day.

And though my kids have been cracking eggs and measuring ingredients and making messes in the kitchen since they were tiny, I think that’s only half the battle.

Kids not only need to have an open invitation to try things in the kitchen, they also need to feel comfortable in the kitchen. They need to know that the kitchen is theirs, too.

You don’t need to do a huge overhaul or massive, million-dollar renovation to make your kitchen kid-friendly. No way. Who has time for that?  Who has the money for that?

Instead, any family can make small changes that pack a powerful punch.

Here are five super-easy tips for making your kitchen kid-friendly. Easier than you think.

Your kids will thank you.

Here’s the skinny. . .

• Make a Kid-Friendly Kitchen Without a Major Renovation: Of course children always, always, always need to be supervised in the kitchen no matter what they’re doing.

That goes without saying.

But they also need to know where to find things, be able to reach things, and know how to do things on their own so they can grow more confident and capable.

Take a look at our 5 tips for making a kid-friendly kitchen:

fyi: The teachmama.com youtube channel is all about sharing quick teaching tips, reading strategies, and parenting tricks with parents and caregivers.

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Teaching kids how to use the microwave and other appliances safely is a must. And seriously, by looking a little more closely at what you already have, you may be surprised at how things can function.

I had no idea that our microwave had automatic melting options for butter or chocolate until I stepped back and helped Cora one afternoon.

It’s not always easy to let go, but once you let your kids take the lead, it’s amazing where they will take you.

Maddy stumbled upon a recipe for baked tofu bites, which she decided she wanted to make. We never eat tofu. We (gasp!) weren’t even 100% sure what tofu was or where it was located in the grocery store.

But we found it, she made it, and we loved it.

It was a learning experience for the whole family–and I’m not sure Maddy would have taken the risk if she wasn’t so comfortable in our kitchen.

Want to read a little bit more about kids in the kitchen?

Click on the photos below. . . 

fyi: This is a sponsored post, written as part of the Whirlpool Ambassador program. As always, opinions and ideas are my own, influenced only by my experience as an educator and parent and my three little ones who are learning to really ‘rock it’ in the kitchen.  

Want to know more about the appliances we have in our kitchen? We have (and love!) the  Whirlpool® 28 cu. ft. 4-Door Refrigerator, the Whirlpool Gold Series Dishwasher with PowerScour option, theMicrowave Hood Combination with AccuPop Cycle, and the Double Oven Gas Range with Convection Cooking. True. Love. Forever with these. Seriously TLF.