If you let a kid have free reign in the kitchen, he might learn some things you never would have thought to teach him. 

Learning in an Open Kitchen

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If you let a kid have free reign over the kitchen, he might decide at some odd hour not normally reserved for eating that he is indeed hungry.

If he is hungry (and he is, because he’s a growing boy) he will rummage through the kitchen and find a package of chili flavored Ramen.

He will prepare this Ramen while his mother asks, “Are you seriously eating at (unmentionable) time?” and he will answer, “I am hungry,” therefore closing the case.

Before he eats said chili flavored Ramen he will decide he is also craving hot chocolate, and he will prepare a mug of this.

While eating chili flavored Ramen, he will discover that it is quite spicy and he will take a large swig of his hot chocolate. He will become frustrated that the hot chocolate is not cooling his tongue.

“Son,” the mother will say, “it’s hot chocolate. Why did you think it would cool your mouth?”

He will respond, “Mother, when you think of hot chocolate, do you think of milk or water?”

“Water. Because that’s how you made it.”

“I think of milk, because there is milk powder in the mix. I was assuming the milk would soothe my tongue.”

“Okay, but even if it is milk, it was hot milk.”

“Do you think it makes a difference if the milk is hot or cold?”

Learning in an Open Kitchen - The Hmmmschooling Mom

If you give a kid free reign in the kitchen, a science experiment might be born. The next unmentionable time the boy is hungry, he might again prepare chili flavored Ramen. He might also set in front of him two glasses of milk; one cold, the other very warm.

“Son, what are you doing?”

“An experiment,” he will answer. He will eat some of the chili Ramen, wait for the spice to burn his tongue, and then take a swig of very warm milk. At which time, three things will happen.

a) he will say, “Wow. Very warm milk. That’s kinda like it’s straight from the cow, right?”
b) he will say, “Wow. Very warm milk does not taste very good. At all.”
c) he will say, “Wow. Very warm milk does not soothe your tongue after spicy food.”

If you give a kid free reign in the kitchen, he will probably learn a lot—including some things you never would have thought to teach him.

Tired of the sugarcoated version of homeschooling? Read my book The Homeschool Highway: How to Navigate Your Way Without Getting Carsick.