Do you or did you bake with your children?
 

This is not a recipe, but related to food, so I thought it should go under this thread.

I was talking about baking with my children at work today (at a commercial bakery) and none of the others (3 women around 50) baked with their kids. I was surprised, as in my family children 'helped' to bake cookies, bars, bread etc, from the time they were big enough to stand on a chair at the counter.

I 'helped' to bake my grandmother's birthday cake from abut age 5. That grandmother baked bread and taught me to bake bread by feel, instead of measuring or weighing.

By the time I was 12 I was doing all the baking for my family. Mostly cookies, bars, muffins and loaves, plus cinnamon buns on occasion.

My kids started baking around age 2, we baked at least weekly, to keep the cookie jar full.. We all ate raw dough, yes with raw eggs, and never got sick. They took over the baking 'chore' by the time they were 12, just as I did. My 20 year old son, makes incredible cookies, brownies and pizza dough.

So my question is, do you or did you bake with your children? What is the favourite recipe to bake together.

In my family our go to recipe is chocolate chip cookies, with peanut butter and oatmeal.

I bake with one of my grandsons. We just began doing this. He is 12. We've made a pie and whoopee pies. Next he wants to make a cake. My second grandson is more interested in learning to shoot his BB gun, so he spends time with my husband while Jo and I bake :)

I started baking with my neighbor's daughter when she was 4. We also sew (quilting) and she knits with her Nana.

I like baking with the kids because its a special bonding time and it also teaches Math. Children so often don't like math until they learn how it is used in cooking, baking, sewing and woodworking. :)

My girls are grown with their own families...we have always baked together. I loved baking cookies with our first grandson...( still have photos to prove it lol). Still bake with the younger boys - mostly frosting cookies.
A very specials time...PS I have worked as a professional cake decorator

Judy in Phx, AZ

I was working full time when my girls were little so we didn't do much baking. On weekends we wanted to spend time outdoors or going places. We did bake when the weather was bad. I taught my oldest grandbaby how to make bread when she was about 8. Now I have two grandboys age 2 and 3 and they help me bake all the time. They love to crack eggs and add all the ingredients to the mixer. I let them do it all. The 3 year old can scoop cookie mix out of the bowl and put on baking sheet. They know what a recipe and a cookbook are. My DD and works long hours so she appreciates me letting the boys help. On weekends they want to be doing outside activities with mom and dad.

Although I don't have children, I learned to bake with my mother and grandmother. Most memorable was making what I called "clam cookies" ( sugar cookies with M & Ms mixed in the cookie dough) every New Year's Day with my Mom when I was 4 and every year thereafter when I lived at home. I called them " clam cookies' because when the M & Ms baked they split open and looked like clams to me. Lol

My mom never baked with me or my sisters. My older sister and I learned from 4-H, I'm still grateful for them. I baked and cooked with my 3 sons, and so far with 5 of my 7 grand kids. I haven't baked with the youngest 2, because they're too young, 22 months and 7 months, but I plan on baking with them as they get older and show an interest. I have also sewn with the 5 oldest to varying degrees.

I baked with my own children, my daughter now bakes but son doesn't. I bake with my grandchildren. We had a "bake off" competition myself, daughter and granddaughter. There was no prize but we all had a lovely afternoon tea. Bake off is a TV programme over here.

My mother wasn't a good cook so neither am I.

Our daughter and 5 year old twins live with us. They love to help in the kitchen. They make their own pizza's on pizza night. They like to eat when they cook! I did not do much cooking with my children...they were always out playing with the neighborhood kids. I am learning patience with these little people!

Many times despite working full time. Best cure for grumpy kids is to help Mom bake something fun. (helped when Mom was grumpy too) Many of my kids' friends and their parents are lost in the kitchen while mine are totally comfortable following recipes and/or making meals and grocery shopping. My kids are health conscience and are choosing foods and meals that are better for them. I also taught them the economics (your time vs cost) of making from scratch, buying a package, ready-made or eating out. These are life skills.