With summer around the corner, I’m reminded of how hectic it is to increase the number of children at home during the day from zero to three. During the summer my children eat from the time they wake up until the final seconds before they brush their teeth at bedtime. My kitchen pays the price—and so does my sanity—when I spend the whole day wearing my chef’s hat. Here is what I did last summer to ease the summer burden a bit:

1. Place cups, bowls, plates and spoons at an easy-access location. I have a bottom drawer dedicated just to kid-friendly dining wear. I bought fun, brightly colored dishes that I can re-use and replace periodically. I try not to use disposable paper products to save the family budget and the environment.
2. Stock up on healthy snacks. I fill one bottom drawer in the fridge and one in the pantry with snacks I deem healthy and then I let my kids eat freely (within reason) at snack time. I also keep the fruit bowl full of all of those wonderful seasonal fruits. (Check out this Friday’s blog for a list of healthy snacks for kids.)
3. Buy a water dispenser and keep it in the fridge. I encourage my children to drink a lot of water so I always keep cold water easily accessible in the fridge. Cold water is more refreshing, tastes better, and tends to be more appealing than regular tap water. I make it easy for little hands to get their own drinks so I don’t hear the repeated plea on hot summer days, “I need a drink!”

I’d rather offer my children some independence this summer so that I spend less time as waitress and cook and more time outdoors having fun at the beach, pool, or park.

Question: What are your tricks for giving your children access to the kitchen within reason?