Each morning, children in the Primary classroom help prepare snack
for their classmates. At the end of the work period, they prepare the
classroom for lunch by setting out placemats, napkins, and utensils.
After sharing a meal and polite conversation, the children select jobs
to clean the classroom after lunch. These are the moments that are
integrated into the day of a Primary child, but they are not the only
times in which these young children invest their time in the Grace and
Courtesy of eating together. Children opt to create flower arrangements
as they sip the tea they prepared, or they create place cards when they
invite a friend to join them fora snack. They spend their work period
preparing granola or apple tartlets for others to enjoy. Though of
course these children are motivated by the delicious result of their
efforts, they also do all of this to practice the ways of moving through
the world as a social being.
Since your Primary child operates with a do-it-myself mentality,
think of ways to make your kitchen accessible. Arrange the kitchen so
that small cutting boards, plates, or cups are in low drawers for your
child to reach independently. Consider ways your child can help prepare
meals without constant adult assistance. Chopping vegetables with
child-sized choppers, mixing batters on low tables, or setting the table
with those items placed in lower shelves may be just the way your child
wants to help. And, of course, involve your child in the cleanup
process, too!