2 Year Old Cooking?

Both my daughters (2 & 4) have always wanted to help. I let them stand on a stool and they have never attempted to touch the oven. They stir, dump in spices, pour in liquid, etc. I never let them do anything that involves a pan (i.e. flipping eggs but they can certainly crack them). I think it's a great way to spend time together....you have so little time to spend with your children during the day, that this is one way to take advantage of spending time together while doing something you HAVE to do (like cooking dinner). I think it will make him more responsible and eager to eat whatever it is that he has helped prepare. I see no problems! Have fun!

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what a great time you two can have together!! I must confess that my first reaction to the idea of a little one around the stove was "yike" but as long as he understands that it is a potential danger and as long as you are there with him CONSTANTLY I don't see the problem. My oldest daughter has a "learning tower" that her 2 month old son uses to get up on the level of all the action in the kitchen. It is this great little invention that keeps him safe because it has railings on all four sides so he can't accidentally fall off. she and our grandson work on everything together...he helps knead the bread dough, he stirs the ingredients into the cookie mix, helps "measure" things. It is a great bonding time AND a great learning experience for him.
Enjoy!!!

My son, also just turned two, helps with cooking as well. Its normally with pots and pans that are empty, or just have some rice or water in them, and he DEFINITELY makes a mess. He isn't ever by the stove when it IS hot, but he gets it, and feels like he is helps. I don't think you are crazy. I would continue to be careful, and know that meals are going to take longer, but that is how kids learn and hey, some day, when he needs to cook YOU meals, you'll be very very grateful you taught him how!

My DD has never been burnt using the stove or oven and she started at age 2 as well. The iron, OTOH was where she ended up with a nasty, nasty burn. Go figure.

My DH always thinks I'm a little nutty letting the kids into the kitchen, but he's the type that would rather see them wrapped in bubble wrap too. :)

Hi J.,
I think you're off to a wonderful start. We have a 3 and 5 yo and both help in the kitchen with all that there is to do. Mixing, baking, frying, stirring, cutting and cleaning. They also know how to unload the silverware and set the table (properly mind you). Sometimes they are both in there helping out at the same time and I will admit that is very challenging for me. Our 3 yo (son) loves to cook but he all by himself is a handful so I have to watch him and work with him side by side. We've experienced some small ouches but once it's over it usually doesn't happen again because they remember it hurt. I do try to teach the kids the dangers of the kitchen so they learn to respect it and be serious about what they're doing. It's not much different then a ton of other things we do in our life that can be dangerous. Keep a watchful eye and enjoy your time together it will go fast. Blessings, L.

You are not crazy. If you are watching him, he won't have the opportunity to get hurt. I wish I could have the kids help me, but when I do it turns into something from the 3 stooges. Have fun with it while he still wants to help!

You're not crazy.

I always involved my son in the cooking. I never actually let him next to the stove itself (except to see or to add ingredients to the pan, from being in my arms) because we didn't have this small screen in front of the stove (to avoid pan to fall over by accident)
It's good for them to be involved and it teaches them many things (that they are valuable members of the family, that cooking is fun and eating veggies too, that hot pans can burn so they need to be cautious...)

Oh how wonderful. I think it is great that he gets to help. I let my kids help to and guess what.....she wants to become a chef !!! She is 16 and has more cookbooks than me and her role model is Julia Child. Keep on doing what you are doing !!!

Lets put it this way my jaw dropped when I read the part about him helping you stir on the stove, before I got to the rest. Howevr he is your son and you can do what you wish. Kids are very smart and as long s you are right there and never go one foot away and you feel ok with it they keep doing it. I, even though saying that will not do it. As much as my daughterlistens very well and folows oreders and feel I can trust her not to touch thes stove, they do slip, fall, and have minor accidents like we all do even as adults but a toddler sometimes cannot catch themselves as fast or that hand goes somewhere and cause some serious injury and it was all an accident but could it have been avoided. Just be very VERY careful.

You are not crazy and tell everyone else to just calm down. I have three kids and one of them took to cooking at around 1 1/2. I would let him stir on the stove, crack eggs, anything he was up to. He would even take a table knife and cut up potatoes and other easily chopped items. He was always fine, I always watched him very carefully and never had a mishap.

Now that being said, My other two children were never the kids that could be trusted in this situation until they were older. Although they knew the stove was hot, the chances of an accident was pretty high. I have just started letting my middle boy help on the stove and other things at 4 and my daughter - NO Way yet.

I did have a friend who's little girl was just under 5 and she wanted to help so bad and typically did just fine but one day grabbed the handle of the pan and dumped boiling water on herself and partially on her face. She has permanent scarring now. This is just a little reminder that as great as they seem and as careful as they are they are little and need to be CLOSELY monitored.

I think you encourage your little chef to keep with it. It is great fun and a great time for both of you.

Bon Apetit!

I don't think you are crazy but I also don't think it's a good idea. The kitchen is the most dangerous room in the home. He shouldn't even be in there. Just as an example, my friend was making mashed potatoes and splashed the boiling water down her front. .. 3rd degree burns. What if your little man is in the kitchen and something like that happens? We are all parents here and we all know that you can't watch a kid every single second. This is an accident waiting to happen.

I think its great that you let your son help you with dinner..he is being involved in what you are doing. Yes you may want to get some baby proofing items where he cant turn on the stove or anything like that. Good job for letting him to involved..he wont feel left out.

My 2-year-old son helps in the kitchen, but I would never let him near the stove. He is very fast and though he knows that the oven is hot, he also forgets things and needs to be reminded all the time. Perhaps your son is more ready for the stove aspect, but my son is definitely not...instead he is completely happy to be a helper from the counter top (which has its own danger...he has fallen off a couple of times) and add ingredients for me.

On another note, be careful mommies about kids playing in the kitchen on the floor (which is why I keep my son on the counter). When I was growing up, our kitchen was one of those roundabout kitchens with the doors on either side so you could run around and around through the kitchen to the living room to the dining room and back to the kitchen...my mom was cooking bacon for breakfast and she did not realize my brother (who is very quiet) had wandered into the kitchen and was sitting behind her and she turned to dump the bacon grease from her pan in the sink behind her, tripped on my brother and dumped the full hot pan of grease on him, burning his arms and legs and bits of his face. To this day, my mom still feels so terrible (even though, thankfully, he was not scarred) and because of that, I will not allow ANY kids in the kitchen if I am using grease at all and I do not allow the kids to play on the floor of the kitchen!

I knew a chef who had a learning tower and her children helped her cook every evening too. I think it's great, but just be safe. Look at the learning towers. At 13 months my son LOVES to be in the kitchen with me - doing what I amdoing, NOT playign on his own!! I plan to get him involved soon as I think he will stand for longer periods.

I do it too. You're not crazy, as long as you look after him really good, I think it's fine. In my opinion, the earlier you can teach them something the better.

Sounds like great one-on-one time to me - as long as you watch carefully so he doesn't get hurt.

I have 5 children, 8 and under. All of them love to help in the kitchen! Like yours, they love to stand on a stool next to me at the stove. I let them all pour stuff into the pan, but I think they're more like 4 before they start stirring. By 8, my son can do a lot of cooking for himself: oatmeal, pancakes, muffins, mac and cheese, canned chili, ramen noodles... And it's because he's been allowed to participate since he was very young. I would not say others are wrong to have their children wait longer, but I don't think it is necessary, and both he and I enjoy the independence he has developed.

I don't think you are crazy. I am a single mom and my kids always want to be helping me. I let them help flip the pancakes on the skillet or put the pasta in boiling water. They can stir things for me also as long as they use the long spoons. They love the responsibility and it helps them to understand how the food on their plates gets their and I think gives them a better understanding of healthy eating. They even like to make their own creations my son, loves a breakfast sandwich he designed. One slice of bread (not toasted) layer of pb, sprinkle on the cinnamon put a little syrup and then fold. Obviously not the healthiest but a heck of a lot easier then french toast. Let them be creative and have fun, just make sure they are safe.
N. - single mother of a 4yob and a soon to be 3yog!

Good for you! Letting my son help me is the only way I get dinner made some nights. Yes, it is nerve wracking and you have to watch constantly (watch that he doesn't fall off the stool as well) but I don't think he is too little. I actually even let my son touch a not-quite-too-hot pan so that he would realize what I was talking about when I said no don't touch. I checked it (several times with sensitive parts of my arm and such to make sure it would not burn him) and then let him touch it when he tried again. He hasn't done it since. I do try to let my son do more of the stirring and stuff with items that aren't on the stove yet, and assembling things and avoid the stove altogether, for my peace of mind. And I agree with the other poster, since you showed him how to climb up on a stool and reach the stove, you need to make sure everything up high is also babyproofed in case he gets in there sometime without you. But I would just enjoy this time with your son while it lasts, what a great mommy-son time! And it is great for toddlers to be involved in meal-making to help with their eating habits throughout their lives.

I think it is great! Of course, you have to watch him carefully to make sure he is safe and not leave him alone...but it sounds like you are doing all of the right things! What a great way to learn with Mama! :o)

PS...just because you allow him to cook with you doesn't mean other family members need to..... everyone at their own comfort level, right? :o)

My grandaughter loves to cook and watches the cooking channel rather than cartoons. But I don't let her at the stove. To the side and to help with that part until older. Two is very young and if something does happen, it only takes one second is it worth it? No. Please don't let him help at the stove until a little older. There are so many other things that he can do that are safer. Emma likes to wash dishes, abit of a mess but much safer. Burns can be scarring. The reminder would always be there.

So many times, parents say "no, you're not old enough" or "no, this is too dangerous" and discourage kids from helping and learning when their interest levels are high. Then later, when kids ARE capable of helping, parents feel resentful that their children no longer have the interest and have not learned the skills necessary to help.
I think having a little sous chef in the kitchen is wonderful for so many reasons--togetherness, learning math skills, nutrition discussions, following directions, and on and on. My sons have "helped" me since toddlerhood with only a couple of minor burns that encouraged future carefulness. I did purchase a toddler-sized apron in kind of a thick vinyl-coated material to minimize both the mess and the risk of burns from any hot splashes.
Keep watching him closely, but enjoy your time together and know your inclusive, positive attitude about daily work will benefit your relationship forever. Bon appetit!

I think it depends on the kid. My oldest did great at the stove at that age. He heeds warnings incredibly well, and is super careful. My second, however, is a spaz! He wasn't even helping me cook and touched the stove and burned his finger. So only my first one helps me near the stove.

I don't think you are crazy. We used to let our kids help at a young age too and they loved it. Our now-12 year old grew to love cooking and baking so much that she actually started her own bakery business a couple of years ago. She did a web site, sent out post cards, and started getting orders from dozens of people in town. Now she does it just for fun because she's awfully busy with school :)

Kids learn so much when they do activities like that, and some are more ready than others - so if your son can handle it, why not? It will build confidence and so many good things for him.

Enjoy and happy cooking.

my little girl has been helping daddy cook in the kitchen since she could stand. just as long as we're vigilant in making sure the kids are aware of the possible dangers of a hot stove and have close supervision, it's fine, have fun and enjoy these days when they want to help, it'll be too soon before we'll be fighting with them to do it them themselves!

Your not crazy, I take my 2 yr old daughter to work. I manage our family restuarant. She helps and hinders from the front to the back, and does a better job than most of the employees. I think that its great to teach them new things, especially in the kitchen. Who knows maybe when your little man grows up he will be a famous chef?
I hope this helps, especially coming from a single mom.

My son is two also and he does the same thing. We bring a chair from the dining room into the kitchen for him to stand on and he helps whenever I cook. When we are using the stove, I stand between him and it, which keeps him from getting too close, but I do try to let him stir. If I have to step away for a moment, I scoot his chair into the center of the room where he can't reach anything. If this is working for you, great. I know that for us, it has also helped when it is time to eat. My son is more likely to eat foods that he helped prepare, so for us, its win win.

You're not crazy, I think your son is lucky to have a mother that takes the time to let him help. Problem is, if he slips or loses his balance somehow, he may pull something down on top of himself. I think you would feel so bad. But only you know what he's like, only you get to decide. Maybe your husband has an opinion. But no one else can say.

You are a wonderful amazing mom!
You raise a real good man!!!
Thank you for that!
Hurray!!!

When my first son was two he also liked to cook with me in the kitchen. He could actually make scrambled eggs! I think it's great to get kids involved in the kitchen. You know your kid better than anyone so if you think he can do it and you are there to watch him there should be no problem. My second son is 3 and had always liked to help bake but has just recently begun to like cooking with me. He doesn't do nearly as much as the first and I don't trust him as much either. So I would have to be much more careful with him. All kids and moms are different. I don't think you're crazy at all. Just always keep an eye on him and you should be fine.

Crazy? No, but maybe a little too early. My son loves to "help" and watch, usually from the arms of whichever of us isn't cooking. (I really need one of those towers.) But the stove itself may be a tad early. As others have mentioned, there is a lot of splashing and splattering that can go on. I usually don't even allow my son around my legs while I am cooking just for the fear of something getting him. I also make him stand next to the counter where he can see, but not reach, while I open the oven. He understands that hot is bad, but there are so many times that you have to glance away, it would frighten me. I don't know the right age, and maybe your son is mature enough to handle it. Only you can make that decision.

My son loves to cook we even got him his own kitchen for Christmas. I do let him stir things away from the stove and turn the oven light on so he can watch things cook and occasionally let him flip a pancake, but try to keep him away from the real oven as much as possible. Spattering grease or boiling water can burn sooo bad and after having to scrape a melted plastic pot out of my oven we have made a point to make the big oven and stove off limits. He does help set the table with plates etc, but no hot stuff.

I think it is great that you two get to spend this time together. If you feel it is done in a safe manner, than I say cook away! I let my daughter who is five help me, and she has always been my helper in the kitchen.
He will not always want to spend this time with you and sadly, the day will come when he will not even want to be with you. So, enjoy it while you can.

What a wonderful mom and me time for your little one.
My children have always been in the kitchen since they were little too. By the time they were six they were cooking scrambled eggs by themselves and all I had to do was stand in the kitchen.
You are teaching a life skill that he will need. I hope he is still in there when he is 15 making you dinner. :o)

It seems to be working fine for you. If you are right there and he understands, then I actually think that is great. I don't think there is anything wrong with teaching him such things when he is so young. He knows the stove is hot and he knows to be careful. He will probably now be the least likely of many two year olds to get burned.
It's like people who think it's crazy when others let their children handle or carry guns. Actually, when they are taught correctly, know all about the dangers and safety, they are the least likely to cause any harm. Unlike the child who has never learned about gun safety and becomes curious.
Your child is learning safety through cooking and will be less likely to be curious and burn himself because he knows. He has been taught. So there is one way you can look at. Obviously I would never leave him alone, but you don't. So there you go.