Cooking the chook!


This afternoon I invited Nick to help me make a chicken casserole for supper (not that he will eat it!). It has been an age since we last cooked together and I had forgotten that the simple act of preparing food is a fabulous opportunity for me to guide Nick. Cooking is an activity that he feels comfortable with and he is receptive to little challenges and new experiences.

We spent a good twenty minutes cooking the chicken and preparing the sauce. I am always astounded at the amount of time that he remains engaged with me and with what we are doing. I can't help comparing today's success to his lack of interest during the early days of RDI.

Twenty minutes of video footage is way too much to share, therefore it took me a while to decide on what segment to use for this post. I eventually decided on the following piece of footage as I feel that it shows my nonchalance how relaxed I am over the fact that the chicken ended up on the floor, I wiped the said floor with the towel and then used the same towel to hold under the remaining chicken. (Yuk, right?). What the footage also shows is Nick's resilience. He battles to use the tongs, however, he doesn't give up and he keeps persevering with his handling of them. This is HUGE! The activity is not a chore for Nick, he understands his role and he is an active participant.

I realise it looks odd that I have placed the casserole dish far away from the actual frying pan, however, there is a method to my madness! I want to add the extra challenge of carrying the chicken across a large open space. It slows down the pace of the activity and offers Nick further opportunities to motor plan and think about what is happening and what to do next.

My mind is also working overtime, I am continuously planning and reassessing on how to scaffold the situation and think of ways in which I can guide Nick. As with any of our activities, I want him to make his own decisions and be proactive in his approach without me telling him what to do every five seconds.

By the time we got to the end of transferring the chicken, Nick was using the tongs with confidence and also holding the chicken with enough control in order to carry it from the pan to the casserole dish without dropping it. He is learning from experience.

As for me, I like being a mindful parent and guiding Nick the RDI way. For sure, I am not perfect, however, I am also learning from experience!






12 comments:

  1. Learning from experience is what it's all about. I could never learn properly from books, or instructions, but have to physically do the task to truly learn it. The act of "doing" is a really powerful way of teaching XXX

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    1. You are right, Jean, the act of "doing" is very powerful. I also find it helpful to give Nick extra processing time in order for him to problem solve.

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  2. Such a lovely video. I love how he kept looking at you for reassurance that it was okay when he dropped the chicken and you just kept him going without worrying about it. I love cooking with Bruiser. He thrives on the challenge, he wont eat any of it either though. He also likes making us a pot of tea when Daddy gets in from work too. Such little things give them so much dont they. linking up from #SSAA

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    1. Thank you, Dawn. I love that Bruiser makes you a pot of tea, so cute. Good luck with your little steps forward. The edge plus one concept has worked a treat with Nick.

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  3. Love how he persevered! Great job :-)

    xx Jazzy

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    1. Hi Jazzy, I also love the fact that he kept trying. Thanks for your comment. xx

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  4. I love that you didn't freak out when the chicken went on the floor, and the method in your madness for having the pot so far away. It's lovely that you can engage together in this activity, this is why I like taking Ethan to theme parks, he loves the rides and we can share his enjoyment. You both deserve gold stars!

    Thanks for linking up with Small Steps Amazing Achievements :0)
    x

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    1. Hi Jane
      Thank you for your lovely comment. I don't get too bothered about mess these days... thank goodness the dogs weren't in the room because then there would have been trouble!! :-) The theme parks sound like a lot of fun and it is really great that Ethan enjoys the rides. What a treat. I really like the theme of your linky as it is wonderful to celebrate all the small steps (which sometimes are quite huge for us).

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  5. Lovely post-ye both did a fantastic job.
    #ssamazingachievements

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  6. My challenges with my son are so 'small' when I see what you deal with - not doing homework and failing a math test ... makes me feel bad for even being a little disappointed. I love how encouraging and calm you are - you both deserve a huge hug :-)

    Wendy
    Simply Sassy Style

    Hugs

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    1. Hi Wendy, don't feel bad, it is all relative! Thanks for the hug. :-)

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