Excerpt from THRIVE AND SURVIVE, ZERO TO FIVE:
When I (Mary) was a new mom with only one child, Luke wanted to be my right-hand man in everything I did—just like all two-year-olds. My goal that day was to make a batch of pepparkakor cookies, a traditional Swedish favorite. The dough must be rolled thin before using cookie cutters to make shapes.
I planned to involve Luke by giving him his own ball of dough and hoped he’d be content with that while I got the cookies made. What I hadn’t counted on was that his attraction to the flour was greater than to the dough.
As I dusted the cookie cutters, he dusted his hands, face, hair, clothes, and everything within a ten-foot radius. My kitchen was quickly deteriorating, but I decided to let him do what he wanted and gave him his own scoop of flour. He poured and spread and patted his treasure until it had puffed itself wall-to-wall. But I got all my cookies baked, and Luke had thoroughly enjoyed himself.
Cleanup was significant, but picture in my photo album tells of a success. Luke’s big smile, shining through his floured face, says, “Mama and I had fun today!”
SIDEBAR:
BENEFITS OF HAVING FUN WITH CHILDREN
- Builds strong relationships
- Keeps mom young
- Presents opportunities to teach
- Provides release of stress
- Brings shared laughter
- Builds happy memories
Great thoughts! I want to read the book!