Daniel has had an interest in helping out in the cooking for awhile now. I have taken time here and there to show him around the kitchen, he's getting pretty good at helping clean up and making simple foods on his own.
When he asked for a grilled cheese sandwich it occurred to me that this is a perfect time to give him some new experience in the kitchen. We've always talked about being safe around the stove, but this is the first time he has got to use the stove himself. He was a little concerned about being too close, which is good, but then we talked about how dangerous it is to be afraid of the stove.
We talked about how quick reactions can create problems, but that we need to be confident around the stove. We talked about how the confidence comes with experience. For example once he discovered where the heat level increased he was more comfortable putting the cheese on, and was even more comfortable with putting the top piece on.
I was flipped it for him this time, and then took it out with spatula without a word from me. Unfortunately I took this picture for forgot to get a picture of the finished product, so I will just leave the rest up to your imagination. He was very happy to have made his first grilled cheese sandwich mostly on his own.
