As a kid, what were your first kitchen chores?
What age did you start helping out or assigned kitchen or meal related tasks? Did you trade (or bribe) siblings for their duties? Did you receive $ or just knew it was all a part of being a family? What did you learn? Loathe? I recall folding napkins & setting the table. Washing dishes by hand (no dishwasher back then), taking out the trash & feeding the dog left-overs. Share your memories...
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14 Comments:
I set the table, folded the napkins and emptied the dishwasher. Izzy has been emptying the dishwasher since about the age of 2. He likes putting away the silverware. He has also begun to set the table and fold napkins occasionally. I did not receive any $$ for doing my chores, nor does Izzy.
izzy's mama at 9:24AM on 09/25/07
I'm the oldest of 5; I did everything. I washed dishes, put clean dishes away, set the table, peeled potatoes, mixed up the powdered milk (gag), made the jello, made the salad and on and on. The best job was getting to eat the foam that Mom skimmed off the top of her homemade strawberry jam after spending backbreaking hours picking, washing, and hulling berries!
Library Lady at 9:45AM on 09/25/07
The very first was setting the table. That progressed to drying the dishes, which I loathed; washing them was deemed an adult job. Decades later, I'm still grateful for my dishwasher.
lemons at 9:54AM on 09/25/07
I started out making meatballs. Also salads. Then one day when I was 8,
I got moved up to breakfast. Every Saturday morning I would make the whole breakfast standing on a chair then wake everyone up.
After that it is all a blur.
At around 10 I took over the setting of tables for dinner parties and planning of menus.
I have memories of my grandmother and I cooking for my mothers very elegant cocktail and dinner parties.
I also have memories of throwing her out of the kitchen, ewww that must have been bad your kid throwing you out of your own kitchen.
My mom never formulates a menu without calling me.
JerzeeTomato at 11:26AM on 09/25/07
Setting the table, definitely, which was always a pain-- we were inevitably roped first into wiping it off, and boy was it sticky after a day in the hands of two young kids alone at home!
Christina at 12:52PM on 09/25/07
I have five older brothers, and when I was born brother #2 said, "Good!! Now she can start washing the dishes!" As soon as I could reach drawers and countertops I started helping with everything, generally just getting in my mom's way, but she didn't mind. My first dinner for the family was clam chowder from Gourmet magazine. I don't mind washing dishes at all. Having a mom who is a great cook and six hungry siblings made doing anything in the kitchen a pleasure. My dad always made Saturday night dinner and I was his happy sous chef.
ride&cook at 1:21PM on 09/25/07
My earliest memory of kitchen chores was helping my Mom at Christmas when she made her butter cookies. I enjoyed rolling out the dough and using the cookie cutters. Thinking back I marvel at my mother's patience with me as I took a loooooong time to do everything. I am sure that my "help" made the job take 3 times longer...at least!
Vitello Tonnato at 1:35PM on 09/25/07
It was probably setting the table, but I only remember my younger sister doing it. I started cooking at age nine, and in our house the cook did only that - everyone else had to set the table and clean up. I was a latch key kid, so for awhile "cooking" meant putting something mom had made into the oven. I wanted to do more, so I was eventually allowed to brown the meat for spaghetti, cut veggies for salads, and even later experiment with the whole meal. I'd definitely credit my abilities in the kitchen to my mom's job keeping her out of the kitchen!
LizNYC at 1:48PM on 09/25/07
With lifestyles now different than 50+ years ago when I was a child, I'm sure kitchen chores have changed as well. Any insight or thoughts you can share?
I can remember helping pass dessert to adults or fixing those little nut & candy dishes my mother had for her Bridge groups---sneaking bites of course :)
JEP at 4:23PM on 09/25/07
It sounds like not too much has changed.
I've been asked to set the table, wash dishes, unload the dishwasher (ok so that's new from 50 years ago). I've also been asked to help out with setting up candy dishes for Mah Jjong games (as opposed to Bridge!)
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 6:13PM on 09/25/07
I can't remember a time when I was not in the kitchen with mom. Obviously I started out setting the table. I also cleared and did dishes from a very early age. The thing that was different with me was that my mom allowed me to be her sous chef from an early age so I was involved in the grocery shopping, selecting spices, prep work ... the whole shebang. Mom's philosophy was that her boys were never going to have to rely on a woman to cook, do their laundry, sew or clean house. She made sure we learned our lessons well and for that, I will forever be appreciative. Thanks mom!.
Tommy
dukeofpornia at 7:26PM on 09/25/07
I'm the youngest of five. I didn't have any chores as a kid.
paris221966 at 10:29PM on 09/25/07
Setting and clearing the table
Dughis at 7:23AM on 09/26/07
I did'nt have many chores as a kid, but I made tea some times.Served tea to special relatives visiting us.
Mira
mira at 1:29PM on 09/26/07