Our first step is oiling the pan. I have a little container with some vegetable oil and a small saucer with the brush
He pours the oil into the pan
Puts the small bowl down. Putting down the bowl might seem like common sense but for many toddlers, you have to remind them to put it down before moving to the next step.
Next. Spread the oil around with the brush
At this stage most children are still ambidextrous and this is not a bad thing. Don’t try to encourage the use of one hand over the other. Using both sides of the brain and crossing the midline of their body is a good thing. *sidenote*
Point of interest: point out that the places the oil has covered is shiny and we want the entire pan to be shiny.
Put down the brush. It is important to have a place for everything.
This step really depends on the comfort level of the parent and the trust in the child. The burner is not turned on and he knows when it is hot and safe and has been doing this step since he was about 13 months old but again it can be skipped.
Put the pan on the burner.
Time to prepare the eggs. There should be a place for the eggs and a place for the shells. We have gone through several stages to get here. In the beginning, he handed me the eggs and I cracked and poured them. Then he would crack them and I would work together to pull it apart and pour. Recently he has been mostly able to do it independently but not perfectly and then yesterday. He cracked and separated 4 eggs with no help and didn’t get any shells. Patience, repetition and time.
Tap gently on the side of the bowl and listen for the crack
when you hear the crack, find it and put thumbs right there
then pull apart emptying the egg into the bowl. He was still perfecting his process here.
Put the shells in the container and then put “a pinch of salt”
He really likes this step.
Whisk… we are still working on gentleness with this step 🙂
Another step that depends on your comfort level but he then pours into pan which is still cold
I then light the burner on very low heat. He sometimes turns it around and when it’s ready, he uses the spatula to transfer it to the plate and enjoys it… sometimes right at the kitchen counter and other times at his table.
I hope you can see some of the practical considerations in action. It’s definitely faster to make it yourself but hopefully the benefits to the child and the development of concentration are obvious.
Live a Good Life.
2 Comments
Amanda Acton · January 18, 2015 at 8:50 am
We are almost in the crack the eggs independently stage. Sometimes she makes a hole with her thumb and shakes the egg out, other times she tries a bit and then gives the egg to me to break open. I haven’t really let her near the hot stove yet though, but she does understand hot, especially when it comes to food and “blowing” on it before putting it in her mouth. She also loves the salt, but would really like to put in far more than the pinch I give her.
Teaching Gentleness through Practical Life | · January 17, 2015 at 12:11 pm
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