Making breakfast

I follow the blog How We Montessori for ideas on activities, chores, peace making, etc. It's a great one in general, and I love how the mother promotes independence in her sons' daily lives. Case in point: making their own meals. She's had them chopping fruits and veggies and cooking over hot plates at a way earlier age than my girls, so I finally caved in and got a cheap little portable stove. The girls made eggs for themselves and the babies and it was a huge success.

What I especially like about this, besides the intense focus they give the task, is the patience they suddenly have at meal time. Breakfast typically is hectic for me - I give the babies their bottles, get the girls up, pottied and dressed, make food for everyone because everyone is now telling me they're starving, clean up while everyone eats then feed the babies another bottle because after all that they're still starving.

But now? The girls actively help with the making of breakfast which means they appreciate the time that goes into the process. The babies don't yet of course, but they're slower to chase me down ;)