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The Ulterior Motive in My Pots and Pans, and My Toddler

August 7, 2012 by 17 Comments
Samantha playing with pots and pans

What possible ulterior motives can one have for allowing a toddler to play with pots and pans?

Guest post by Claire Jennings

And so continued the conversation I did not expect to be having with my husband…

…as our one year old daughter played with pots and pans on the floor.

That’s right, my husband had just accused me of having an ulterior motive with our wonderful, loved child. What’s more, this hidden motive he was so sure of was those pots and pans in our Samantha’s hands.

What could possibly be hidden inside a pot?

Okay, okay, so a lot of things could be hidden inside that pot, maybe a spoon, a lid, Samantha’s sippy cup, or a stuffed animal.

But an ulterior motive? I don’t think so.

Jump back into the history of me, (isn’t it fun to think of the history of oneself) and you will find someone who has always loved to cook. Dinner might be served at 10 or 11 o’clock, but it was going to be homemade.

Okay, so l love cooking. There is no crime in that, unless, of course, I am sneaky in getting Samantha to love cooking. That is exactly what my husband accused me of doing!

Let’s look at the facts for a minute:

  • I skipped the rice cereal stage, and made all of Samantha’s baby food. And why shouldn’t I? It is easy and better for her.
  • As soon as Samantha showed an interest in food, I shared food with her. From 6 months on, Samantha went food shopping with me every day. After all, it is a great learning experience.
  • As soon as spring came, I started taking Samantha to the Farmer’s Market and then to you-pick farms. Isn’t the fresh air and exercise good for her?
  • Also at 6 months, I started showing Samantha how to cook by holding her while I was cooking. If she was in the kitchen with me, I needed less baby gates, so it was only natural. Who am I to say she can’t help.
  • When I wasn’t holding Samantha, I let her play in the cabinets. After all, it was way simpler to move the breakables and dangers out of the way than it was to actually lock all my cabinets.

When you look at it, really, I was just taking the easy route.

Samantha smiling

What’s so wrong with having an ulterior motive for this adorable toddler?

After all, it is far easier to just mash-up some food for Samantha that I was eating anyways than to buy and store special food just for her.

And who wants a crying baby at the baby gate when she could be happily playing with pots and pans at my feet?

Really, it is just common sense.

But here is my husband, telling me that I have an ulterior motive to make Samantha love cooking.

Sure, Samantha’s toy pots and utensils are some of her favorites.

Sure, while most kids are pretending “phone”, she is pretending “cook” and bringing imaginary food for her daycare teachers to eat.

Sure, she knows just where in the store those blueberries are, and makes sure to add some to our cart each week. Sure she is helping me in the kitchen at the age of 13 months.

But an ulterior motive? I don’t think so.

My motives are right there for everyone to see. I love cooking, and want to share this love with Samantha.

In fact, I love it so much I have a blog to share this love with as many families and children as I can.

There is nothing hidden about my motives. I can’t help it if my husband did not see them to begin with.

What about you?

What motives do you have that your children or spouse may not be fully aware of? How do they positively influence your children’s lives?

Author bio:

Claire is a cook, wife, and mother who cares deeply about the foods of today and their impact on our children. She is the founder and creator of the blog Your Child’s Food and the Your Child’s Food 1 Year Challenge.

Photos supplied by Claire Jennings
Filed Under: Food & Nutrition Tagged With: , ,

Comments

  1. Michelle says:
    August 7, 2012 at 9:03 pm

    Funny. I don’t see why it would be a problem, though! It’s a great way to spend time with your children. And it’s a great skill to learn. Motive-schmotive. 13 month olds who cook and know where the blueberries are rock!
    Thankful Thursday, Pinterest-styleMy Profile

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  2. Hezzi-D says:
    August 7, 2012 at 9:41 pm

    That’s funny that he thinks that’s your motive but why not? Kids should enjoy helping mom in the kitchen! I don’t have any children but when I’m teaching at school I often get the kids to sing and dance with me-it often helps them learn better!
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  3. Pamela says:
    August 7, 2012 at 10:24 pm

    My kids have always helped in the kitchen, they still do, my little ones are the ones that are pushing for attention to help cook dinner or make desserts!
    Blog Star ~ Hi I’m PamelaMy Profile

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  4. Rebel Sweetheart says:
    August 7, 2012 at 10:27 pm

    So cute!
    My son seems to have an interest with cooking as well. I suppose it’s from watching Hell’s Kitchen, Top Chef, and Kitchen Nightmares with me. :)
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  5. Family Travels on a Budget says:
    August 7, 2012 at 11:23 pm

    Our kids have cooked in the kitchen with us since they were quite young. One thing I’d caution to all parents is when cooking with a squirmy baby, be careful. My husband works in a medical practice and has seen more than one child burned while being held and standing over the stove. He recommends, instead, that young children hang out in their high chair with spoons and measuring cups while parents talk them through all the steps. Be careful with your kids!
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    • Claire says:
      August 11, 2012 at 1:58 pm

      Thanks for the reminder on keeping your children safe in the kitchen. Beyond the baby friendly kitchen I’ve set up (making sure she cannot hurt herself with anything she can get to), I pay attention to the dangers around sharp and hot work. Samantha is not one to be content with being contained, so I have had to work around that. I do my best to cut things up when she is not around, and am fine with her at my feet when I am cutting. It is also amazing how much I can cut with a butter knife. As far as heat goes, I keep her away from it, and tell her why. Depending on what I am doing, this may be at my feet (stirring something on the back burner of the stove), being held by daddy (needing to carry boiling water across the kitchen), or held on my hip with my body between her and the heat (such as pulling something out the counter top toaster oven to the counter it is on). Her favorite is probably being held by daddy, as she can see everything that is happening, is part of the action, but is safely tucked away from the danger.

      Thanks,
      Claire
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  6. Regina says:
    August 11, 2012 at 8:09 am

    I think it’s great she loves to pretend to cook. My kids are little helpers in the kitchen. I hope they continue to love to cook.
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  7. Claire says:
    August 11, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    Anne,

    Thank you so much for having me. I hope your visitors enjoyed the story.

    Thanks,
    Claire
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  8. Rosey says:
    September 6, 2012 at 11:06 pm

    Aww, she’s a cutie! Your post made me laugh. I guess we do influence our children hoping they’ll love what we love. My toddler, well kindergartner now, has loved pans since VERY early. My husband didn’t like him using them, understandably, because the rims got bent (rendering a lid useless), so I bough him his own (cheapos from the Dollar Store) at a really young age. He still plays with them regularly. :)

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