The kitchen is an amazing place for you and your kids to be.

I know it can be stressful. I know it can be messy. But I also know it's an environment with plenty of opportunities to learn, make mistakes, spend time together, and create delicious food as a team.

With only a couple of weeks left of school July holidays here in Australia for my two boys (they're in Queensland - some states start back a little later in the month), I thought I'd share some super-easy (and delicious) back to school recipes, lunchbox ideas and how to get your kids more involved in the kitchen over the next couple of weeks. 

Scroll down a little further and enter your email for my Kitchen Tasks Sticker Chart ♡

Why get children involved in the kitchen?

There are a few key reasons as to why I try and keep my kids involved in the kitchen and give them kitchen-related tasks. Delegating tasks for ages even as young as 2, gives children their own responsibility and instills purpose in them from an early age. Cooking and cleaning up are key responsibilities we keep for life, and I want to enforce this early so they can become independent cookers in the kitchen. 

It's also important to me that the kids help or even prepare their own meals. This means that whatever is prepared are their own choices, and therefore they need to eat what has been made. This also goes for meals prepared by myself or Nath. Whatever has been prepared, is what's getting served. If you don't like it, that's okay, but there won't be anything else offered.  

Sticker chart for all ages

Our kids naturally want to mimic us. It only makes sense that they would get involved with things we do on a daily basis, like cooking.

Encourage your children to join you in the kitchen and give them tasks that are age appropriate. The printable sticker chart in this blog is a fun way to incentivise or celebrate wins in the kitchen. You'll find tasks from ages 2 all the way up to 18!

You can simply use stickers to 'complete' tasks, or you can assign points, or even give a dollar amount to certain tasks.

This year, I am making a conscious effort to spend more one-on-one time with my kids (which can be hard with four kids!). I've found a great way to do so, is prepare meals or bake goodies with each of them. I can be present for them, and we switch between one-on-one cooking sessions and cooking as a family. 

Kids not a fan of cooking?

That's okay. Rather than forcing them, try to uncover what kind of tasks and chores make them feel achievement. This could be gardening, washing the car, helping with the pets... we all know the list is endless. I find being in the kitchen therapeutic, so your children might find somewhere in the house more calming. 

I also know that as our kids get older, they may have less motivation to do chores. Teach them about the importance of sharing responsibility, and make them aware of the fact that a household is a team that should be created equal. You can recreate charts similar to the sticker chart with different kinds of tasks for other areas of the house. 

Stay tuned

Be sure you check back into my blog as I'll be getting ready for back to school antics in a couple of weeks. I'll be sharing some of my kids' fave recipes from My Kids Eat Volume 1 and 2, which I hope will inspire you and even just help you mix up the school lunchboxes a bit with recipe ideas ♡

Needing some more ideas to get your kids involved around the house? Check out my Chore Chart for ages 2-12.

What kitchen tasks do you get your little ones involved with? 

Leave your comment below, I'd love to know! ♡