Teach them to clean up from early

[Winterybella]

I can well imagine how messy baking can be with the kids, especially if they are very young. We even created a thread here addressing ways to bake with them without creating too much mess.

Even after all that, we are going to be left with lots of cleaning up of baking pans and utensils. I say teach them to clean up from that early age. I believe it's a good starting ground that will serve them well as they grow up.

 

[JessiFox]

Definitely agree- this one is a must. When I mentioned to my husband how important it is that our son learn to cook, which he wholeheartedly agreed with, but he added on his own caveat- cleaning it all up! I hadn't put as much stress on that initially but I do agree. Who wants someone that can create a fantastic meal but leave a whirlwind of mess wherever they go?

 

[tangela]

I agree too. Cleaning is usually the part of the baking and cooking that NO ONE likes, but if you teach them early on to clean as they go then at the end there won't be as many dishes you have to wash. I think it's actually good for parents to teach kids first to clean up when they want to help you cook and clean, so that way they feel like they're contributing to the making process.

 

[Winterybella]

It's 11:34 pm where I live and I am just through cleaning up from all my cooking earlier in the day. Granted my son is not well, so I really did not expect any help today.

Cleaning can be a task especially, when you are doing lots of cooking and baking. I am getting "younger" so often my legs are aching after preparing. I have not succeeded in getting my grown son to be a big cook or baking person but from time to time he would help me with cleaning up. I wish I had worked with him more when he was younger. He would be a more willing participant.

 

[Mara]

I think this is so important with cooking and baking. My friends boyfriend piles up the washing up and thinks fairies will come and do it! Learning to wash up as you go along and to soak is so important for boys and girls and should be taught when they can use their own knife and fork.

One person cooks and another washes up and puts away. They are good habits to have and I have met some older people who have bad habits and it's too late for them now!

 

[Tina Nord]

A clean kitchen is a happy kitchen and my kids know this well. We clean the bake ware right away and clean up all the ingredient mess. I even have the kids do sprinkles on a plate so they don't get everywhere.

 

[Tara]

I completely agree. Habits developed at a young age will stay with a person forever. I'm teaching my niece to clean up while she is cooking and/or baking. She is becoming a great cooking. She also doesn't leave a mess in the kitchen.

 

[Trellum]

Yes, teaching a kid to clean up after themselves is of vital importance. Sadly my grandma didn't teach that to my oldest sister. That caused her troubles later on when she went to college.

 

[Winterybella]

Yes, teaching a kid to clean up after themselves is of vital importance. Sadly my grandma didn't teach that to my oldest sister. That caused her troubles later on when she went to college.

It's a stepping stone for the future. I am thinking I should insisted where my son is concerned. My only comfort is that he is a fast learner so when he does pay it more attention, I suspect he will do a good job.

 

[kammy]

I so hold true to this notion as it's either now or never; it is imperative that we teach our children from a tender age to clean up their own mess regardless of how much they despise doing this or else chances are we parents will be spending the rest of our lives cleaning up after them.

 

[cupcakechef]

Oh gosh, I even have to try and implement this with my husband! I'm a "clean as I go" type when I'm cooking in the kitchen -- I hate having a big old mess to clean up at the end of a cooking or baking project because I find it stressful and that it takes the enjoyment out of cooking if I let it pile up. He, however, is a "leave it all til the end" type, and if he's in the kitchen making something it often resembles a bombsite! You can bet that my kids will definitely be cleaning up as they go! I do think it's just a good life skill to ensure that if you make a mess, you clean it up - that can be a metaphor I guess for things outside the kitchen, too!

 

[cookiesfromhome]

It is important to clean your kitchen on daily basis to keep it hygiene, and you will enjoy cooking.

 

[Diane Lane]

I have a small kitchen, so it's all the more important to clean as I go, otherwise there is no room to prepare or cook. I agree, it's important to teach young ones to clean up, first, and then introduce them to cooking, so they can be more independent, and will be able to function out on their own.

My youngest niece just left for college, and it will be interesting to see how it goes, because she expects my sister to pop her microwave popcorn for her. I'm past the point of mentioning each thing that will lead to problems (major ones, not minor, of course), because they go in one ear and out the other. Unfortunately, they (my nieces) leave huge messes in the kitchen when they deign to cook, but usually expect my sister to do both the cooking, as well as cleaning. It's so important to teach them good habits when they young, as well as along their way to adolescence and adulthood.

 

[Winterybella]

My son does not like me talking about him but I think he's way too much of a man to be making some of the mistakes he makes in the kitchen and generally. I am yet to get a breakfast or a meal prepared by him and I won't tell his age. I worry that I spoiled him rotten and that he's too dependent on me. I look at this post and since my last posting in May, I have seen no improvement. Seeing this makes me mad at myself all over again.

 

[ThatNewMommy]

OH DEFINITELY!!! My king isn't three years old yet and when we are cooking he already knows the messy dishes go in the sink and how they should be put (you know...whisk in the bowl with water to soften everything up). His dad is a leave it where it is until someone (meaning me) gets annoyed at any scraping that needs to be done. I REFUSE to have my king grow up to be like his dad. LOLOL

Definitely teach cleaning up as soon as you start teaching baking together. LOL

 

[Winterybella]

ThatNewMommy, there is still hope for daddy. I never thought I would live to see the day my husband would do much more than wash a plate but after about ten years he won't only wash a plate, he'll can cook me a meal and leave the kitchen almost spotless SOMETIMES. When I met him he was a grown spoiled man but somewhere along the line something happened and it made me happy...for a while. Sometimes the "drop your plate right there" habit still surfaces, but he's come a long way. I am quietly hopeful, something will hit my son and bring about some change. I used to repeat your last sentence, but it has not worked out for me so far......

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

When we are cooking or baking expect that there will always be mess in the kitchen especially if the kids are join us in this kind of activities. But it is just okay if we are seeing our kids that they want to learn how to cook or to bake at a young age but we just make sure that we will also teach them how to clean their mess in the kitchen. It is also a way so that they will be independent in their own actions and know what is the right thing to do.

 

[Zyni]

I can well imagine how messy baking can be with the kids, especially if they are very young. We even created a thread here addressing ways to bake with them without creating too much mess.

Even after all that, we are going to be left with lots of cleaning up of baking pans and utensils. I say teach them to clean up from that early age. I believe it's a good starting ground that will serve them well as they grow up.

I absolutely agree with this. No one should ever just make a mess in the kitchen and then walk away leaving it for someone else (usually me) to clean up. I still have to get onto my kids now and again about this once in a while, especially if they bake something.

I've always tried to extol the virtues of cleaning up as you go, instead of ending up with a huge mess at the end.

 

[Winterybella]

Zyni, you know I am the comedian and if you didn't know the cool mom for most of the young ones around me but recently I have been getting so mad with my 25yr old "baby" who keeps leaving a mess behind recently. Some days I just want to scream and put him on the next flight to 'Neverland". I think a wife is going to bring about the change. He'll rush to clean if he's having female company.....smh.

My husband's experience tells me there is still hope.

 

[Joel]

That's where I went wrong, I never taught my daughter on how to clean utensils when she was young. She is now 9 years old and she claims that she does not know how to clean up. I think that when she grows up she will want to learn more about such tasks.