Cooking with young children is a recipe for family connection and learning

AMERICAN FORK – The Cheesman family loves making sweet artisan bread for the holiday. It’s a beloved tradition that represents love. “We smell something, and it just reminds us of a person, or a place and I think that is it's really important,” said Gail Cheesman. “It's like having family pictures.” 4-year-old Bennett enjoys mixing the ingredients with his Grandma Gigi. "It's something that he will remember and have fond memories of,” Cheesman said. She says spending time like this with all of her young grandchildren is so important. “I think it helps them because it's a tradition. It helps them feel more connected and bonded with family,” she said. Megan Shaw, the school-aged program manager at Neighborhood House says having your little ones help with a favorite family recipe helps them create a strong foundation of love. "Being able to have those intentional moments where we are doing things as a family, we are doing things inter-generationally or multi-generationally, it just reiterates that unity of love,” Shaw said. It also teaches young children other important skills. Following a recipe involves reading, counting and talking. So, while it's a fun activity - it's also a great learning opportunity. Shaw says the skills children develop through these activities help them become more resilient. "They are learning empathy, and they are learning kindness,” she said. Bennett's mom Jessica Cheesman has already seen his growth through activities with Grandma Gigi. "It's the little moments, it's the big moments, it's every moment,” she said. And she’s grateful that teaching him important life lessons can also be exciting. "He can get really messy and still have fun and learn things,” she said. “So, it's awesome that he is able to do that with his Gigi.” For more ideas and resources on how to help your young child’s development, visit 5B45kids.com.

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