Cooking with the Littles

My grandchildren love to help in the kitchen. I try to include them when I bake, as they seem to get a kick out of watching the magic of the oven take place.

One of the first things I let my grandson help me with was making biscuits for Thanksgiving. It wasn't anything exciting, but he was very proud to say that he made the biscuits. He was around 3 ½ years old, too young for cutting and such, but just the perfect age for prepping and finishing up. I'm not sure if he was more excited about placing the biscuits on the cookie sheet, or taking them off and plating them. Either way, it was a fun time and a memory that has already instilled a love of cooking in him.

My suggestions for cooking with the grandchildren 

• Keep it Simple – The easier the better when they're young. They won't know that they haven't cooked a five course meal, but they'll take pride in the smallest of accomplishments.
• Have fun – It doesn't matter if there's flour on the counter, or chocolate on their faces. Keep it fun and light-hearted.
• Instill healthy habits – Make sure they wash their hands and stress that they keep their hands off their faces, away from their nose, etc. Little ones usually have no boundaries on what they touch and where their hands go, but stress the importance of good hygiene when cooking.
• Make them responsible for cleaning up – We know that part of cooking is the cleaning of the dishes. Have them help with the clean up process and explain why it's important as well.

I don't know about you, but it's just as much fun (if not more) for me than it is for them when they help me cook.

What are you thoughts on boys in the Women's locker room?

I've recently joined a local gym that has something for everyone. Not only do they offer a full range of exercise and cardio machines, but they have every group class that you can imagine, swimming pools, a splash pad for the youngsters and babysitting (during specific times of the day), so the parents can exercise, while the kiddos are being watched.

Well, I'm a gramma who likes to take aqua aerobics and group classes. Being a bit older, and out of shape, I tend to sweat quite a bit, (always have anyway), and need to shower when I'm finished with my activity.

This brings me to a dilemma: What age is it appropriate to still bring boys in the women's locker room?

I wasn't given any specifics about this when I first signed up and ran into a situation. I was taking off my wet bathing suit and noticed a young boy nearby. He was with his mother and sister. I kind of looked around, but most people were finished with their bathing/changing. I toweled off, and tried to stay covered as best as possible, but I noticed this little guy looking my way. I felt awkward about the situation, so waited for him to leave before I finished up. I failed to mention that there is a “family changing room” that one can use, if parents don't feel comfortable about letting their children go into the locker room on their own. I'm not sure why this mother didn't use it. Maybe it was occupied and taking too long for someone to come out? Still not sure.

I've also run into this when I babysat a seven-year-old girl and took her to swim lessons. Her mother wanted her showered off after each lesson and there were group showers without curtains. There was a little boy who would practically race to the women's locker room and strip down the jump in the showers first. I would say her was about seven or eight as well. I felt uncomfortable for the little girl that I was watching. She was an only child, and probably not exposed to this type of behavior. There were older girls showering at the same time as well and I just didn't think it was appropriate.

What do you think? Am I just being old-fashioned and a prude, or should there be a cut-off period for this? I personally would never let my husband take our three-year-old grand daughter in the men's locker room, so I think it should go both ways. Please parents, for the comfort of your child and others in the locker room, please use family locker rooms, (even if you have to wait a little while).

Welcome

Welcome to my first post on Gramma and Papa's Corner. I'm the lucky gramma of three adorable grandchildren; two boys and one girl.

My husband and I live in a "granny unit" on the same property as my daughter and her family. I am able to see my "littles" everyday, and enjoy watching them grow and flouish.

My goal with this blog is to share my experience of living in a three-generation house and what works best for us. I also hope to share tips on what we do to keep our lives "separate", yet able to work together. I also will add what I do to keep the kids entertained and crafts and projects that we can do together.

I'm excited that you have decided to be a part of our life, and look forward to any tips and comments that you may contribute.

My first actual post, will be up shortly. Please come back soon and get to know me.