Know how you can save money around the house? Put your kids to work.
Many parents shy away from assigning household jobs to their young children rationalizing that it takes less time and energy if they simply complete the tasks themselves. Of course, a child is never going to learn how to make a bed, clean a toilet or fold laundry if his parent doesn’t allow him to get hands-on experience and make mistakes along the way. Most kids learn from their errors, though that’s little consolation to the mom who has to refold an entire basket of clean laundry or mop the bathroom after her son splashes a toilet’s worth of water on the floor.
My suggestion, start small and make it fun. If a child is having a good time while helping you complete a job, he is more likely to give it his all. My daughter loves to help in the kitchen, and now that she is 8, I am able to give her more challenging tasks. I’m happy to report that as my expectations have grown, so have her abilities. It’s nice to see her take her jobs seriously and exhibit a sense of pride during and after the chores.
This month we’ve been attending a slew of holiday potlucks. Consequently, I assigned the job of making dishes to my daughter. The holiday season can be a chaotic time, so why not take a load off by allowing your kids to help in the kitchen?
The following simple recipe is one that my third grader was able to whip up on her own (minus the chopping, which I did ahead of time). With a little practice, I’m sure your children will be able to do so as well.
Layered Tomato and Cheese Dip
Ingredients:
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (6-ounce) jar sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
- 1 pint refrigerated pesto sauce
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil
- 1 jar roasted red peppers
Directions:
- Mix together cream cheese, garlic and butter in a bowl until well blended.
- Add pesto and Parmesan cheese to the bowl.
- Line two 8-ounce custard cups with plastic wrap.
- Divide cream cheese mixture into four parts.
- Spoon 1/4 of cream cheese mixture into each custard cup.
- Sprinkle each with 1/4 of the tomatoes.
- Spread 1/4 of the pesto mixture over tomatoes.
- Repeat layers.
- Fold plastic wrap over each, sealing well.
- Chill overnight until firm.
- Remove plastic wrap and unmold dip.
- Garnish the top with fresh basil, and roasted red peppers.
- Serve with toasted French bread or crackers.