Cooking with the boys is such a joy and such an easy time to put Montessori theories into practice. It's usually something I do with one boy at a time so the boy gets my full attention. It gives me a chance to tune into my boy and help him develop his independence and confidence. For Wolf at 6 years old cooking is about quality time with me and practising new skills. We're making bacon and eggs for lunch... He gets out a big plate by himself and puts the jug on top. He can't reach the eggs in the fridge so I get them down for him. He counts the eggs and cracks them into the jug. He can't handle the 3 litre bottle of milk so I pour the milk for him. He mixes the eggs. I don't let Wolf work at the stove when it's on. He usually sits on the bench and watches while I do the most dangerous parts of the cooking. Once the stove is off Wolf stands on a stool so he's at a good working height. He uses a small pair of tongs to serve the hot bacon. He's good at remembering not to touch the hot pan and he's coordinated enough to do this safely. Yummo!! He scrapes his plate when he's finished... ... and packs it in the dishwasher. Fox is 8 years old and for him cooking is about creativity and freedom!! He loves to cook things he can make independently from start to finish and he loves to prepare food for other people. He is confident with knives, the microwave, milk frother, citrus juicer and blender and I know that he can use these safely. If he checks with me first he is allowed to get them out and use them independently. His favourite things to make at the moment are stewed apples, orange juice... ... and fancy hot chocolates. Fox always needs to be reminded to tidy up and complains loudly about having to do this. Bear is 10 years old, he is very serious when cooking and will only join me if I ask him to. He is learning some of the more complicated and dangerous skills with my supervision and help. He can ignite the burners on the stove. He still uses a stool to reach the stove safely. We use the back burners and make sure the handles are turned to the sides. I give him instructions and he follows them one step at a time. The things Bear loves about cooking is getting to taste all the ingredients, getting to learn the dangerous skills and getting to play his favourite music. "Montessori believed that children should be able to do everything they are capable of. She believed it is the teacher's responsibility to increase each child's competence whenever possible." Cooking opens up so many opportunities for fun and closeness and learning. I hope you're having some fun in the kitchen too!
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My name is Vicky and I have 3 boys - Bear (10), Fox (8) and Wolf (6). Somehow I stumbled across Montessori and now my goal is to raise and educate my children with a Montessori approach in Dubbo. Archives
April 2024
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