Day 1 - Cooking!

So as I stated in a post last week, we are starting a new thing with themed days this week.  Today was the first day, and Monday has been declared cooking day!  To introduce her to it, I put a chart up that shows two weeks and a simple image that shows what we are doing each day.  I went through each one describing what we would do, then I asked her what we are doing today and she looked, gave me a big smile and said "Cooking!".   She then went with her Dad to help make breakfast.  She also helped make English muffin pizza's for lunch.  (I forgot to take pictures - but there was a tiny apron involved.)   While it was cooking, she painted a picture of Curious George eating ice cream.

Then way later than I had meant to do it, we made a little pretend pizza out of cardboard and self stick foam.

I pre cut the pieces and put them into prep bowls.  The crust was just a scrap piece of cardboard, and the red marker was for the sauce.

Mandie was more than ready to get started.

We counted pieces as we stuck them down.

  

All done!

Nom Nom!

So at the end of the day I took her back to the chart and had her cross off the the cooking symbol under Monday.  I asked her what we were doing tomorrow and she exclaimed "COOKING!" ...so either she doesn't get it yet, or she really enjoyed today. 

Routine

Mandie has gotten very into planning and scheduling.  It actually helps get her to go to sleep faster.  Every night after I tuck her in I tell her, "You are going to sleep in your bed, I am going to sleep in my bed, because tomorrow we are going to do _____."

Really Mandie is just like most kids and likes routine.  She likes having an idea of how/when things are going to happen.  Taking her lead I have decided to start small and give each day a theme, with a goal of doing at least one big activity based on that theme.  (I hope to do more than one thing each day, but I am admittedly easily distracted.)

So here is our chart for the first two weeks..

Cooking, school type learning, swim, crafts and sports

 Now if I was the Mom that I am in my head,  Monday would go something like this.....

She would help a little with breakfast - maybe stir her eggs or something.

At some point after breakfast we would have a pretend meal that she would prepare in her toy wok.

Then in the afternoon we would make pizzas out of construction paper, including little paper mushrooms and pepperoni - the works!

 At dinner time she would completely help with making 3 or so mini pizzas with different toppings.  Some with new things that she hasn't really tried - and of course her favorite pepperoni and cheese.


What I know will happen is the pizza making.  At least one pizza.

Let's hope that I can make at least some of the other stuff happen....and I'm hoping to get through the entire week. 


Well I'll post what the outcome is next week...I'm really hoping that this will be a good plan.