You may choose to work with your child by preparing food together. You can prepare the meals that your child likes the most.

Remember how you used to make mud pies? Children love to make their own food. Very often they aren’t given the opportunity or the permission to do so, so they do the best they can, which often comes out to be just mud pies.

Surely the children would have more fun with real food. You can use this quality time to discuss a special treat that you are going to cook together and before you actually prepare.

Keep it simple. You want it to be more than just tasty. You also want to guarantee a culinary success. That way you'll be sure that both of you will be happy about it. Nonetheless, if it flops, be sure to laugh at it. Don’t place blame. Don’t show regret, sadness, or disappointment. Don’t give the feeling that if you had done it by yourself it would have been better and don’t give the feeling that that the food is a flop because the child made it. That will only cause guilt, and the child will not want to work together on the next food item. It might also make your next quality time meeting more difficult, restricted, and strained, as your daughter feels reticent about working together on a potential failure.

Strain the rice, not the meeting.

Thus, it should be like any other sport. You try to win, and you try to be successful with the food. However, if it flops, then be a good loser and accept the situation. Perhaps you can discuss how to make it better next time. Ask her for suggestions and ideas on what to do in order to improve it.

One of my own children was insulted by this article. Spend the time that the kids need, she said. Spoiled by all of her own quality time, she didn't understand why all children don't get whatever they need. I had to explain that not every situation is like ours, where her parents offer as much time to their kids.