Festive Home Reception: Tips and Tricks for Involving Your Children in the Preparations

However, even though we have several children, I want my house to be tidy and clean when we have guests; in other words, I want everything to be to my taste! To achieve this, I make myself lists of things to do (housework, food to prepare, etc.); a lot of things to think about so that everything is ready on time!

And while we're busy with the preparations, what do we do with the children? Taking care of the little ones, meeting their needs, intervening, managing conflicts... all while tidying up, cleaning, and cooking; we may be multitasking mothers and fathers, but it often borders on a feat! Often, we send them to play outside or put on a movie to try to keep them occupied, but my reflections led me to question this way of doing things... Why keep them occupied like that? Why not involve them in the preparations? They are still small, but if I start early to include them in tasks, it will (I hope!) become natural. We just have to take the time to do it!

What if we took on the challenge of involving our little ones more? In this article, I will present some small ideas to implement at home.

• Getting hands-on

If your child can read, you could assign them a recipe to make: the appetizers, for example! They will have to read the recipe to follow the steps and will develop their ability to measure ingredients well, which will allow them to develop several new skills. They can also prepare a nice platter of crudités with dips and thus work on their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Your little one will be so proud to tell guests what they prepared and how they did it! Finally, why not have them decorate the cake? You can bet they'll be very proud of it!

• Knife-Fork-Spoon

Does your child know how to count? Wonderful! Ask them to put the correct number of cutlery (forks, knives, plates) on the table. This way, they will practice counting without even realizing it. You could also ask them to make sets (a knife, a fork, and a spoon) or to prepare a condiment platter.

• On the menu tonight…

To inform your guests of the meal that will be served to them, why not ask your child to make a menu display? Even little ones who are in kindergarten and are starting to write can do this task. The child who creates the display will work on their calligraphy and spelling, but also on the spatial and artistic aspects. How will they arrange the text elements on the page? How will they match the colors? If you have a display board for this purpose, it's time to let your little one use it. Usually, children love it when we let them do tasks usually reserved for adults.

• A place for everyone and everyone in their place!

Just like the menu, the child can work on spelling and calligraphy by making place cards for guests and hosts. You could also ask them to draw a simple picture that matches the person next to their first name.

By involving children, we allow them to develop their sense of responsibility, but also their self-esteem; they are so proud to be able to help us and to be told that they have done a good job. Imagine the impact on their self-esteem when guests congratulate them on their work! Don't forget to thank them for their help. By showing them our appreciation, we work on their intrinsic motivation and next time, they will surely be very happy to participate in the preparations again!

Have a good reception!

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