"Mommmmmmmmmm...what's for dinner!?!" This familiar cry brings joy and exhaustion all at the same time. Toddlers graduate to table food; elementary school children are constantly grazing; junior high kids enter the years of puberty, and you find yourself with a home full of human food vacuums that never seem to find "down time" when it comes to eating! I have only 2 children, and yet I often feel as though my life is primarily lived in a 6 foot square area between the fridge, stove, and sink.
Ultimately, our children will strike out on their own. They will begin life in their own "homesteads," wherever that may be. And we will not be there to cook for them. Moms, Dads -- are you preparing your children for their independence? There is much more to life than Language Arts, History, Math, and Science! Things like cleaning toilets, washing clothes, and preparing food for eating are essential life skills that every homeschooling high school student should be required to learn prior to graduation!
I have friends who have very large families, with 10+ children. For these families, rotating and sharing cooking duties with the children is kind of a matter of survival for the busy homeschooling mom! But even in my own "small tribe," I find myself, at times, very weary of cooking duties, and am refreshed when I get a day off! When I have a sick day, a substitute cook is a necessity.
In my home, I try to have my sons be part of the meal prep each day. I hate making salads. They don't mind it, and do a great job, so I often call on them to do that for me. Once a week, usually on Friday for that is our "lightest" day, I let them make the dinner, as long as they are done with their schoolwork (or close enough that the remainder can be finished after dinner). My goal is not to have them "burn out" on cooking, but to know that they are capable, to be confident in the kitchen, and to have a small collection of favorite recipes in a file by the time they leave my home. If the Lord calls them to remain single for a time, or for life, they will be able to feed themselves! And if He is gracious to bring them wives, they will be appreciative of her efforts in the kitchen, and will be able to give her a day off now and again!
Every homeschooling mom knows that it takes time to teach cooking to her children. But oh, it's worth it!
May God bless you and your homeschool this week!
~Lori
