I agree with Lois--thank you for being honest that baking with kids is messy and can frazzle your nerves. I love to bake and was excited to share my craft with my son when he was little, but I found it frustrating instead, which made me feel like a bad mother. He would NOT crack eggs over the bowl--only over the floor. And the flour EVERYWHERE! How about lifting the mixer head while it was still running… Now he's a little older and can laugh at these stories, and his coordination is better. Maybe the key is not to try to recreate some Norman Rockwell ideal but to wait until the children are really able to participate. Then the results are better and you don't have crabby Mommy who wants to cry into her apron. I also sent my son to a nearby kids' cooking school, and he really enjoyed it. He even ate a zucchini tart that he made! Wonderful post, Julia. Thank you!

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