It can be daunting to think about the legacy we want to leave within our families and how we plan to go about building it. It’s tempting to believe we need to stack up achievements or create elaborate traditions in order to make our mark on our little ones. Emily’s story reveals something different. A stay-at-home mom to a 3-year-old and 7-month-old in Oregon, she shows us how infusing intentionality in even the most simple daily tasks can inspire a love that lasts for generations.
I started learning how to make things from scratch in 2020, the year our first son was born. Before that, I worked in a bakery for five years where my appreciation for fresh bread and pastries had grown over time. I loved my time there, but had always known I wanted to be home with my children when the time came.
Growing up, I baked a lot with my mom and grandmother and my dad always had a garden growing. We had fresh fruit from the trees in our backyard and cooked a lot of meals at home. Some of my favorite memories are from spending time with my family in the kitchen and garden, and I knew that was something I wanted to share with my own kids.
I have been teaching my oldest son how to cook and bake, as well as skills like gardening and canning. Teaching our children how to have some level of self-sufficiency is important to us, but inviting them to participate at a young age can also be challenging. It comes with a lot of messes and pushes me to be patient, but there are a few ways I make it easier to include them.
Anytime I invite my son into the kitchen with me, I go into it knowing that it will be messier and take more time. At the same time, I remind myself that the more he participates, the more skills he will learn and the more his confidence will grow. It’ll be the same with my youngest when he gets older. The joy that comes from seeing them do things in the kitchen with confidence is so special! My son was so proud of himself the first time he made something with hardly any help.
I keep a wet rag ready to go for cleaning up inevitable messes. I always repeat the same thing whenever there’s a spill, “Oops! Accidents happen. Let’s clean it up together.” This keeps me from overreacting and lets my son know that spills are normal and there’s an easy solution. I always have him participate in the clean up, and now he feels confident to initiate it on his own when he spills. It’s all about letting go of perfection and letting them have fun.
I want my kids to be equipped to be able to provide real help in the kitchen when it is needed, so I teach my son to contribute in ways that are genuinely helpful. I give him kid-friendly tasks like washing vegetables, using kid-safe knives to chop things, pouring, and mixing. Any time we make some kind of dough, I break off a small piece for him to play with freely. I try to guide him without interfering too much because I want him to feel confident in what he is learning.
My Solly Wrap is so helpful when it comes to our day-to-day tasks. When my youngest was first born, I spent many days harvesting in the garden with him snuggled up on my chest, listening to my heartbeat while I worked. Now it’s so special to have him close in the kitchen while my oldest helps to make the same recipes I grew up making with my own mom and grandmother. I hope my recipes will be passed down, too. I love the idea that the recipes I’ve tested, tweaked, and perfected will be at the center of the table even when I’m gone.
At the end of the day, as they help in even the smallest ways, I want my kids to know they are completely irreplaceable in our home and family. I want them to remember that all that was done for them was done out of love and a desire to give them the best we could regardless of our circumstances. If they grow up and remember a home that was filled with peace, a home that was safe and happy, then we will have done well.
