https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 30 Jul 2026 02:09:21 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-allow-your-toddler-to-help-in-the-kitchen#post-2322939 Fri, 16 Oct 2015 07:32:34 +0000 regberadaisy 2322939@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Quite a bit except raw chicken. She has been cracking raw eggs for a very long time and can get it shell free 90% of the time. Just last night she helped me bake daddy's birthday cake. She cracked the eggs, mixed, I pre measured and let her dump the ingredients, she helped cut the apples (she has her own toddler safe cutting utensil), etc. We always stop to wash hands after touching raw foods, just like adults should in the kitchen! She really loves helping in the kitchen and has for a while.</p> <p>ETA: she does not go near the stove or oven when the door is opened. And I always keep hot pans/pots away from her. We had a finger burning incident on the oven door when she was very young, so I'm very conscientious about that now. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-allow-your-toddler-to-help-in-the-kitchen#post-2322932 Fri, 16 Oct 2015 07:27:14 +0000 looch 2322932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I will let my son do pretty much anything at this point. We started by letting him put the croutons on the salads, he would lick them first, then put them on. We didn't know until one day when my husband happened to video tape him, lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-allow-your-toddler-to-help-in-the-kitchen#post-2322862 Fri, 16 Oct 2015 04:58:52 +0000 yellowbird 2322862@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ajsmommy: yes, hot things are my limit. I don't let her anywhere near it because I know she will inevitably touch something! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-allow-your-toddler-to-help-in-the-kitchen#post-2322861 Fri, 16 Oct 2015 04:57:56 +0000 yellowbird 2322861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh man, I let her crack the eggs when we were making pumpkin pie on Wednesday night and it was the best thing ever to her. She went on and on about it for an hour! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-allow-your-toddler-to-help-in-the-kitchen#post-2322856 Fri, 16 Oct 2015 04:45:39 +0000 lamariniere 2322856@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I let them help me bake, but not cook dinner. I've started to let the older LO crack eggs, but we always wash hands IMMEDIATELY after. As for dinner, I'm usually trying to get dinner together ASAP, so it's faster if I just throw it together by myself. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-allow-your-toddler-to-help-in-the-kitchen#post-2321898 Thu, 15 Oct 2015 14:09:56 +0000 Ajsmommy 2321898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is right on time for me. I am not a germophobe and I let DD help a lot. I let her stir, pour from measuring cups, pour in pasta..... she's 23 mos and I've been doing this for about 5 months now. Last night was our first accident. She touched a hot pan with two of her fingertips. Thankfully it wasn't too bad, not blistered, but red. Man I felt terrible. I will be cutting back on the helping when something is hot!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-allow-your-toddler-to-help-in-the-kitchen#post-2321895 Thu, 15 Oct 2015 14:08:46 +0000 mediagirl 2321895@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>She does a lot with me, not as much with my husband but that's because he's less likely to let go of his worry that things will get messy.</p> <p>With me, I let her crack eggs, cut things with a butter knife, stir batter, sift, measure and dump and pour. I still don't let her near the stove or oven. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-allow-your-toddler-to-help-in-the-kitchen#post-2321890 Thu, 15 Oct 2015 14:05:58 +0000 daniellemybelle 2321890@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nothing hot or sharp. I also try to give her the less messy stuff just because she's barely 2 and it can get out of hand really fast.</p> <p>I don't mind her touching meat or eggs - we do a lot of hand washing between steps which she is also nuts about! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-allow-your-toddler-to-help-in-the-kitchen#post-2320943 Thu, 15 Oct 2015 09:16:53 +0000 rattles 2320943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Helping with eggs is DD's favorite thing. She can make scrambled eggs on her own! I supervise her obviously - she's only 2 - but she loves feeling like she made something for the family. </p> <p>I don't let her help with anything involving knives, hot oil or using the oven. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-allow-your-toddler-to-help-in-the-kitchen#post-2320884 Thu, 15 Oct 2015 08:59:18 +0000 blackbird 2320884@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I handed E a spatula of pumpkin bread batter last week. Freaking highlight of her week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-allow-your-toddler-to-help-in-the-kitchen#post-2320881 Thu, 15 Oct 2015 08:58:37 +0000 Truth Bombs 2320881@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a total salmonella fear so I wouldn't let her help with raw eggs and meat either. Or obviously anything sharp or really hot. But she helps me stir, helps me serve, dumps and measures ingredients. That's enough "helping" to keep her happy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-allow-your-toddler-to-help-in-the-kitchen#post-2320863 Thu, 15 Oct 2015 08:55:14 +0000 yellowbird 2320863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is a spot where dh and I differ a lot! I will let her crack eggs, help with meat, lick a spoon of cake batter here and there while when dh cooks with her he tries to keep her hands out of potential pathogens lol! I just have her wash her hands several times throughout the process. That's what makes it fun! He's a germophobe and I am not. </p>