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The Thanksgiving meal is the culmination of a day centered around food, family, and togetherness, and while it’s always a memorable occasion, the preparation period can be hectic. The kitchen becomes a disaster zone. Is that smoke coming from the oven? And the toddler has a severe case of cabin fever.
It’s easy for little ones to get lost in the shuffle during the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving Day, but here are some practical and proven ways to involve your toddler in the holiday fun and make it a celebration that the whole family can enjoy.
Create A Memorable Table
Encourage your little one’s crafty side by planning a beautiful tablescape for the big day. Model how to set a table appropriately and allow your little one to take over the job. Practice napkin folding, filling water glasses, and setting out baskets for bread and other side dishes.
Have your toddler create name tags for guests, or give them free rein to create their own handmade decorations that guests are sure to adore. They can even collect leaves and acorns from outside to add to their masterpieces!
The Thanksgiving meal should be fun, so make the menu a democratic process! Menu participation offers a great opportunity to teach your child the steps of creating a balanced meal from different dishes, so converse about the foods typically eaten at Thanksgiving, and allow your little one to express her likes and dislikes on the proposed selections. After discussing the standard choices, allow her to make a list of her favorite foods (hand-drawn pictures count too!) and add one or two of her own menu items to the list.
Take it a step further and involve them in making the shopping list and scouring the store for the ingredients needed for the meal. Your toddler will take pride in the meticulously created menu and be even more excited to sit down at the Thanksgiving table knowing she can look forward to getting an extra helping of the foods she enjoys most!
Your Newest Sous Chef
Thanksgiving Day can feel like a frenzy, and adding a toddler to the kitchen might feel like a recipe for disaster. But by recognizing the impending stress and planning in advance, you can limit the holiday stress while also welcoming helpers into the kitchen. Many hands make light work, and you might be surprised at the number of jobs that your toddler can efficiently handle.
In the days before the big feast, make preparations for a family affair by using child-friendly knives to avoid nicking little fingers, or simply assign jobs that don’t involve knife work. Here’s a helpful list of ideas that your little one can join in:
- Snapping green beans
- Cutting or shredding herbs
- Shredding bread for stuffing
- Washing lettuce
- Scrubbing vegetables and potatoes
- Stirring ingredients together
- Measuring spices with a teaspoon and tablespoon
- Making whipped cream in the mixer
- Cutting out cookie shapes
Teach Them How To Host
The table is prepped and the smell of turkey and stuffing wafts through the home, but your toddler’s work isn’t done just yet! Learning to be a hospitable host takes practice and instruction, so converse with your child before guests arrive about the types of jobs they could do to be helpful. Practice introducing themselves to new family members, showing them the ropes of a good handshake, and discussing the types of greetings people give and which ones they’re most comfortable with.
As the family makes their way to your home, have children take their coats, lead them to the appetizer table, take drink orders or pass around a snack (think a simple bowl of peanuts, not elaborate trays!). Make it a goal for your child to carry on a conversation with three new people, and check in later to have them recap their discussions.
Clean Up Crew
It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it! When the party’s over and the guests have made their way home, encourage your toddler to help out by clearing the table and washing or drying the dishes.
Make the cleanup fun by taking turns sharing your favorite part of the day, your favorite bite to eat, or something funny that happened. By making this stage of the process a family effort, you’ll show your toddler the value of group work and task sharing, and you’ll also have the house put back into place in no time.
Be prepared for mistakes to happen and things to go wrong. The pie might burn, the flour might spill, or your toddler might suddenly become shy upon the arrival of new friends; but remember that what makes Thanksgiving memorable isn’t what’s on the table or how nicely it’s decorated; it’s the people around it.
Sources: Food Network, Super Healthy Kids, Parent.com, Right Step Education
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