My daughter started cooking with me shortly before she turned two. I was hugely pregnant with my son and my idea of 'nesting' involves cooking instead of cleaning, apparently (I wish that was a bit more balanced...ha!). So every day we would be making double or triple batches of dinner and baking yet more muffins or preparing ingredients, all for the freezer. Now at almost three years old she believes she is always needed in the kitchen, whether that's true or not ;) Most of the time I love the help (occasionally only because I know it will pay off for her in the long run), but other days I am so, so grateful if my husband can take her and the baby for a walk while I make dinner all by myself! So far no huge kitchen messes, I've eased her into what I allow her to do pretty slowly so she's mostly stuck stirring in oversize bowls and putting pre-measured ingredients in. She also washes produce and has done some peeling with the vegetable peeler, although once she gashed her thumbnail pretty good and she burnt her finger on a pan once. Luckily it didn't scare her off. If I'm ever really wanting her to not 'help' me with dinner, I stick her on dish duty - kids love to play with water and this way she still thinks she's helping!

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