I love to cook so that means that I spend a lot of time in the kitchen or at least as much as I can with a three-year-old running around. Even with my busy schedule, mom, wife, work, and author (not always in that order), I like find the time to make dinner for my family. Since I am a working mom I like to spend as much time as possible with my son when I am home so I started early getting the kitchen to be a fun place for Marco so he would want to plan in the kitchen while I cooked. I stared by rounding up extra cooking utensils (every cook has 2+ sets of measuring cups/spoons, spatulas, etc.) that I could part with. Then I cleaned out one of the bottom drawers to house all of Marco’s recycled cooking utensils. I introduced the kitchen chest to Marco as soon as he could set up on his own and he immediately started playing with his new toys and has not stopped since. Recently he has taken to scouting out new utensils for his kitchen chest. Somehow his kitchen toy chest is growing and my utensils are dwindling…before long I will be rummaging through his drawer to find utensils to cook with. I have to say that losing my utensils is worth it having my little chef in the kitchen…there is nothing better than seeing your son running around the kitchen island with oven mitts on his hands waving a wooden spoon pretending he is a monster ;-)

For those of you that want to make cooking time family time please try out the kitchen toy chest to get your kids into the kitchen and keep them there.

I would love to hear what you put in your kitchen toy chest or if you do anything else to get your kids interested in the kitchen. Please contact me joy@joypapini.com .

Chao for now.