Adelaide making ice-cream

As mentioned many times before and very common at this age - Adelaide's favorite thing to do (one of) is to help us in the kitchen.

Yesterday we made ice-cream together (not a real ice cream this time, but some banana-coconut cream one, was even quite good). Adelaide could participate quite much in this.

She peeled the bananas. I offered to cut the banana with a knife, but she couldn't do it yet (to apply enough pressure while same time holding the knife in the right direction so it would cut. A bit early for her, I guess). But she put bananas in the blender and then was pushing the blender button.

She was a big fan of squeezing the lemon! Of course, I squeezed it first, but then she did a little bit too. I should get the small manual juicer, looks like she'd like it! And she likes the lemon. :) Was tasting it, making a weird face and tasting again. ;) And saying: hapukapsas! :D (Sour cabbage in Estonian.) (I guess because we have said, that the lemon is sour (hapu), and she has had sour cabbage lately.)

She helped pouring and mixing the coconut milk. And good helper in tasting as well. ;)

Later on she also helped daddy to make homemade tortillas. :)

Letting a child even this young (or younger) to help in the kitchen is the best, even.. ooh, what a tester of patience it is! But worth it.

Children are interested in learning the real, practical life, doing, what you do. They want to be able and capable, and equal. Eventually, to take care of themselves without help (the next step is for Adelaide to prepare her own snacks, I haven't introduced that much yet, but soon). And so much to learn! Time in the kitchen is great for language development, and - in fact - all kinds of development. Of course, it's important to remember to be verbal - describe, what you're doing, there's always something new to talk about.. About the ingredients, the textures, tastes, amounts and so on and on.
And the physically abilities are developing as well - while peeling and mixing, and pouring..
The important thing is just to enable for this to happen - do it, while everyone has enough time and energy, so you don't need to worry and stress, and lose the patience, and the mess? Who cares! ;) Cleaning up together is the next best thing to do. (And we don't make her to clean up with us, a good example is everything and she's happy to join in.)
Oh, and of course - it is in fact fun! And a great time spent together.