Tasty Treats

POP UP Cooking Creativity

(Family Features)

It’s an important life skill, but learning to cook and becoming familiar with kitchen basics can also be an exciting adventure for kids from toddlers to teens. Using a delicious childhood favorite like popcorn as the key ingredient at the center of your lessons can spur interest and enthusiasm.

Along with understanding measurements and safety, teaching your children how to make simple recipes also offers opportunities to bond and make memories that can last a lifetime. Popcorn is a snack food associated with good times and it’s versatile enough to encourage creativity.

Though it’s important to begin with easy techniques that introduce future chefs to the culinary world, it’s also helpful to ensure they’ll enjoy eating their first creations so they’ll be eager for more time in the kitchen.

As a whole grain that’s 100% unprocessed with no additional additives, hidden ingredients or GMOs, air-popped popcorn has only 30 calories per cup and provides energyproducing complex carbohydrates. Because whole grains are important sources of nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, B vitamins and fiber, you can instill the values of nutritious snacking all while having some fun.

These simple yet delicious recipes and tips can help you get your kids involved in the kitchen. Encourage Creativity

Keep the fun in the cooking lessons by starting with a versatile base ingredient like popcorn that’s naturally low in fat and calories. Encourage your child to get creative with a recipe like Pop-a-rific Popcorn Balls. With simple variations like adding food coloring or mixing in candies, nuts or dried fruit, the recipe is a colorful way for little ones to build confidence in their skills.

Measure Ingredients

A key component to recipes of all difficulty levels is accurately measuring teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, ounces and more. Instruct your little chefs and let them practice with measuring basics like those in these Simple Popcorn S’mores that call for popcorn and graham crackers to be measured out in cups, so your child can focus on one unit of measurement. Then, if little ones are helping, have an adult melt the chocolate and drizzle for a family-favorite snack.

Get Messy

Learning how to create and explore is often productive and even more fun when children can get their hands dirty. Sweet ’n’ Salty Popcorn Pretzel Sticks are a perfect canvas for letting kiddos work directly with the ingredients, as they can roll pretzels in peanut butter, add sprinkles to their heart’s content and press popcorn into their newfound favorite treat.

Find more kid-friendly recipes to get the whole family involved in the kitchen at Popcorn.org.

DIY POPCORN BAR

Whether you’re entertaining guests, hosting a houseful of kids or simply enjoying a weekend at home, a DIY popcorn bar provides a tasty and joyful way for children and adults alike to create their own version of an afternoon snack. Just set out a few ingredients and watch the fun unfold.

• Small popcorn bags, bowls or cups • Scoops or spoons • Popped popcorn • Peanuts (Remember to ask fellow parents whether their children have an allergy.) • Candies • Raisins • Chocolate chips • Seasonings • Shredded cheese • Shredded coconut • Melted butter

SWEET ’N’ SALTY POPCORN PRETZEL STICKS

Servings: 6 6 T. peanut butter 6 large pretzel rods 3 c. popped popcorn Sugar sprinkles 3/4 c. mini chocolate chips (optional)

Spread 1 T. peanut butter over one pretzel, leaving 2-inch “handle” without peanut butter. Repeat with remaining peanut butter and pretzels.

Press and roll popcorn onto peanut butter to coat each pretzel. Sprinkle with sugar sprinkles.

To make optional chocolate drizzle: Place chocolate chips in small, resealable plastic bag and seal bag. Microwave 30 seconds or until chocolate is melted.

Clip small corner from bag and squeeze to drizzle chocolate over popcorn.

Sprinkle with additional sugar sprinkles. Allow chocolate to harden before serving.

SIMPLE POPCORN S’MORES

Yield: 10 cups 10 c. freshly popped popcorn 1 pkg. (10-1/2 oz.) miniature marshmallows 2 c. graham crackers, broken into small pieces 1/2 c. milk chocolate, melted

On baking sheet, combine popcorn, marshmallows and graham crackers.

Drizzle with melted chocolate and cool.

POP-A-RIFIC POPCORN BALLS

Yield: 14 balls

3 qts. popped popcorn, unsalted 1 pkg. (1 lb.) marshmallows 1/4 c. butter or margarine

Place popped popcorn in large bowl.

In large saucepan over low heat, cook marshmallows and butter or margarine until melted and smooth. Pour over popcorn, tossing gently to mix well. Cool 5 minutes.

Butter hands well and form into 2-1/2-inch balls.

Variations: To color popcorn balls, add 3-4 drops of food coloring to smooth marshmallow mixture. Mix well to distribute color evenly then pour over popcorn as instructed.

Mix in candies, nuts or dried fruit after mixing popcorn and melted marshmallows. Stir to distribute then form into balls.

Place nonpareils in shallow bowl or plate. Roll popcorn balls in nonpareils after forming.

Benefits of Asking Open-Ended Questions

When your child comes home from school and you ask, “How was your day?” what kind of answer do you get? A frustrating “Fine”? Parents can encourage kids to open up and elaborate on their answers by asking open-ended questions that foster communication rather than inviting the conversation to end with a quick, one-word response. Parents desire a healthy and open relationship with their children, but building communication can be challenging, especially if you feel like your children are not sharing the ups and downs of their day.

An open-ended question is one that requires a more in-depth answer than a simple yes, no or other one-word response. Instead of asking, “How was school?’’ try to ask specific questions like, “How did the math test go?” or “Who did you sit with at lunch today?” Listen to your child and ask follow-up questions when possible.

Roe Hunter, marriage and family counselor at Lifeworks Counseling in Madison, MS, says, “I suggest that you ask a question like, ‘How are you today?’ and then wait patiently. Allow for silence to feel uncomfortable. If the child is quietly thinking, wait some more.” Giving kids the time to speak when they are ready is key. There are many benefits to asking openended questions.

Strengthen your relationship

Asking open-ended questions and allowing your children to respond in their own time shows them you care about what is going on in their lives, what is important to them and that you are available when they are ready to share. Parents can take this one step further and ask follow-up questions. If you know your child was worried about a test, experiencing a conflict with a friend or excited about an upcoming event, check in and ask how the situation turned out. This helps build your relationship with your child and also shows him you are listening and that you care about him. The long-term benefit of regularly having conversations with your child is a stronger relationship built on trust.

“It is important to be aware and actively listen to your child,” says Hunter. “Tune into their desires, needs, wants and interests. Ask engaging and curious questions about what interests them.” When you show your children that you are interested in what excites them, you are actually showing them you are interested in them as people. We may not be thrilled by the latest toy craze, video game or sports statistics, but if we show kids we are interested in what they say and are really listening to them, it will make opening up about other, more difficult topics easier in the future.

Learn something new

When you regularly ask your child open-ended questions, you may get an answer that isn’t what you expect. This can be something positive and give you the opportunity to celebrate with your child, but it can also be something that is alarming. For example, your child may share that she is having feelings of anxiety, that she is being bullied or that she is failing a school subject. Kids will start to share when they feel secure and comfortable. “In order to get a kid to open up regardless of age, you must embody safety,” says Hunter. “Safe people are Secure. Aware. Forgiving. Empathetic. (S.A.F.E.)” Everyone needs a place that feels secure and safe to share feelings without judgment or criticism. When a child shares something that surprises you, remain calm. Listen and talk through the situation and try to be understanding. Overreacting or expressing anger will cause the child to shut down.

Encourage self-expression

Kids are naturally creative, but openended questions encourage your children to be creative with their vocabulary and develop habits of healthy self-expression. Good communication skills are an important craft your children will use throughout their lives. When answering

an open-ended question, your children must think about how to respond in a way that tells a story, expresses their feelings and communicates in an understandable way. When you ask follow-up questions using what, where, why, how or tell me about that, kids get the opportunity to critically think about the situation and communicate what they think happened and why. Effective communication skills build their confidence, self-esteem and their relationship with you, and kids will use these skills for the rest of their lives.

As you try to continue the conversation with your kids, remember to ask openended questions, show interest in what interests them and be patient and give them time. “Quiet kids seem to need a longer period of ‘warming up,’” says Hunter. “Give the child the message that this is okay.” Letting your children know you are available when they are ready to talk will help foster communication over time.

Sarah Lyons is a freelance writer who lives in Olathe with her family.

Here are some examples of open-ended questions that can be used in any situation with kids of any age.

• If you could be any animal, what would you be? • What was the best part of your day? • If you had a million dollars, what would you buy? • If you could have any superpower, what would it be? • What are you afraid of? • What is one thing that makes you brave? • What is your favorite part about yourself? • If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? • What do you want to be when you grow up? • What is the best part about school? • Tell me about a time when you were really happy.

Some ideas to reframe the “How was school?” question to get an answer other than “Fine.” Remember to ask follow-up questions: “Why?” or “Tell me more about that.”

• What was your high and low of the day? • What did you have for lunch? What is your favorite school lunch? Who do you sit with? • How did your math test go? Are you happy with how it went? • What are you looking forward to this week? • What classes do you feel most motivated in? • Who is your favorite teacher? • Have you noticed anyone getting picked on at school? • What are you reading right now?

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Kauffman Memorial Gardens Truman Home Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art

20 Ideas for FREE FUN in Kansas City

1. Play at Crown Center’s free Curious George: Let’s

Get Curious! exhibit.

2. Attend a free summer concert, especially LIVE at the

Legends and Olathe LIVE! Summer Concert Series, all on KCParent.com in our Concert Guide.

3. Watch a free movie in the park, all listed on

KCParent.com in our Movie Guide.

4. Visit Kaleidoscope, a free hands-on art center where children use their imaginations to make art with leftover materials from Hallmark’s manufacturing processes (Tip: reservations required).

5. Stroll through Kauffman Memorial Gardens.

6. Union Station’s seventh floor is now Graffiti Attic, the largest “Free Wall” in Kansas City! They welcome amazing street artists to come paint up the quarter-mile of wall space!

7. Go fishing at a local lake.

8. Tour the Truman Home in Independence and learn about President Truman and his wife, Bess.

9. Ride the KC Streetcar and participate in our

Streetcar Scavenger Hunt on KCParent.com.

10. Get free money at the Federal Reserve Bank &

Money Museum. 11. Discover the waterfall at Parkville Nature Sanctuary.

12. Take a free class at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center.

13. Enjoy FREE outdoor theater at Gladstone

Amphitheatre’s Theatre in the Park showing Li’l Abner (Aug. 12-24).

14. Discover a masterpiece at the free Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art or Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

15. Hike the trails at the Kansas City Kansas Public

Library – F. L. Schlagle Branch and nature center.

16. Learn about your family history at Midwest

Genealogy Center – MCPL.

17. On Friday mornings, visit the Farms at Colonial Gardens for the livestock feeding experience.

18. Walk the trail around Lenexa’s legendary dam at

Black Hoof Park.

19. Discover the natural bridge at Carl Chinnery

Nature Trail.

20. And remember to search Free Events on our

Kansas City calendar at KCParent.com, where there are free (and cheap) things to enjoy every day.

GETTING KIDS TO ACTUALLY DO CHORES

As children grow up, there comes a time when they are able to help out more around the house—which helps out the family as a whole. From infancy, children are extremely dependent on their caregivers to provide meals, clean clothes and more, but even toddlers can learn how to throw diapers away, pick up their toys and put their own shoes away. Learning to do these kinds of things can help teach independence as well as help households run more smoothly.

As children continue getting older, the questions become how do we parents distribute household chores, how do we choose which tasks our children are responsible for, how do we ensure that these determined chores are completed, and do we compensate for their assistance?

Now, many factors come into play regarding how household chores are distributed, as well as what expectations go along with getting said chores done, but I think everyone can agree that kids should learn how to help out around the house. Children who are expected to help with household chores learn what it takes to run a household, which will benefit them when they are old enough to live on their own. They also learn the value of working together and that many hands make light work. Children also learn important life skills, such as cooking and cleaning, as well as time management and organizational skills.

As kids mature, have them help as they can. Once toddlers learn how to walk, have them take their diapers to the trash or place their shoes by the door. Starting early with if/then situations will form habits that will make their older years that much easier. If we come into the house, then we put our shoes away. Natural progression can be an easy way to foster helpful and responsible children. As they become preschoolers, add to the steps. If we are finished eating, then we put our dishes in the dishwasher. If we get out toys, then we put them away when we’re done playing with them.

The challenging next step is to add on other household tasks that don’t immediately and directly involve only your child but still need to be done, such as preparing meals, cleaning up after meals, taking the trash out and picking up the yard if you have a dog. Tweens and teens tend to become a bit more self-centered, so it’s hard to make those same natural consequences stick. It can also become challenging with more hectic activity and work schedules. But having a “Team Family” approach can make the not-so-fun tasks just part of your family’s normal routine.

Jodi Johnson, mother of three, says, “We don’t call them chores. My son came home from school and said he was one of the only kids in class that doesn’t have chores. I smiled and told him he actually does but he doesn’t know any better. It’s just expected in this house—we all pitch in. Dinners, cleaning up, making beds, folding, etc., are a group effort. For us this flows easier because they are not being haggled into a ‘chore.’ They simply chip in where they can to make this house run smoothly.”

Gina Tireman, mother of two, says her family takes a similar approach. “There are no chores in our house. Ever since my kids were little we have talked about a team mentality for our family,” she says. “How we all work together around the house, and at times, some team members have to do more to support those that can’t for whatever reason.” Tireman says the kids are expected to help when asked, but that parents also show them respect. “If they have a lot going on or are maybe having a bad day, I wouldn’t ask much of anything from them.” The approach has worked well with their kids, now 11 and 16, and not only are they generally cooperative, they’re also appreciative. Tireman says, “I also get a lot of thank yous where they appreciate and recognize the things I do for them. They are always quick to thank me for doing their laundry or making dinner, etc. I know this wouldn’t work for everyone, but it works for us.”

As wonderful as those examples are, they won’t work for all families, including my own. My husband travels more often than not during the week, so I really do need my kids to help out and be able to get a task done while the rest of us are getting other tasks done. For example, if I come home from substitute teaching, I may need my daughter to put dishes away, my son to take the garbage out, and my other son to feed the dogs all while I’m making dinner quickly

As kids mature, have them help as they can. Starting early with if/then situations will form habits that will make their older years that much easier.

before we need to get one of them to practice. When they were younger, we did more things together as a family because they needed to be supervised or assisted, but as they get older, we oftentimes need to divide and conquer whether they want to or not.

Again, each family’s dynamic and structure is different, so some parents may actually need more help around the house and some incentivizing may help, as Megan Knox explains. Knox, mother of two, says, “Lately life has been a bit crazy, so we’re not a shining example at the moment, but I can tell you how it used to work. Everyone is expected to do basic tasks like make beds, clean rooms, change sheets, clean bathrooms, etc. Then, I have cards with bigger tasks on them—take out the trash, mow the lawn, wash dishes, etc. Each card has an associated dollar amount. If they complete the task, then they can put in it their jar, and at the end of the week I exchange the card for money, and all the tasks reset. I’m terrible at remembering to track regular chores and weekly allowances, so this was my best solution.” I think this is a great way to set it and forget it as long as there are things that you don’t mind being incomplete or having to do yourself.

This is great point to remember that people and families are wired differently. If the idea of earning money for doing chores doesn’t engage your children, perhaps it will help to discuss how you can best help them remember to do the tasks they are responsible for. I know I am a hands-on paper person and like to make a to-do list for each day. It helps me to remember and focus on what I need to complete without getting distracted. So maybe your children need a daily to-do sheet, a chalkboard reminder, a shared digital calendar reminder or an Alexa reminder to do certain tasks. For instance, we have a reminder set up on our Alexa each night to feed our dogs, and whoever is around gets to feed them—otherwise our dogs will come find us! Use a method that works for your family. Rachel Brogan, mother of two, says, “I found that my girls need reinforcement for their personal jobs during transitions, such as starting school. I lay a paper listing their personal jobs (bed, get dressed, teeth, hair, meds/vitamins) by each breakfast spot. They can collect these papers for 15 minutes of extra weekend computer time. They both participate in community jobs (set table, lead prayer, clear table and feed dog). I’m not very strict about this. For example, if they’re in the midst of homework, music practice or FaceTiming grandparents, they don’t have to do community jobs.”

To keep chores more fair or less monotonous, Sarah Lyons, mother of six, has a great idea: “We have a rotating schedule. Kitchen, yard, trash. Since there are six kids, they get a couple weeks off in between chores. Main areas and toy room are a team effort. Everyone takes turns cleaning their own bathroom. If you share, you rotate. If you are lucky enough to have your own bathroom, you get to clean that yourself. We also have family projects. They don’t get paid, it’s just part of being a family. I just have the kids’ names written down on a chalkboard and move the assignment in that order. K is kitchen, Y is yard, T is trash. I keep it really simple. Kitchen includes wiping off counters, sweeping, helping with dishes after dinner. One parent helps with kitchen duty.”

Personally, I have tried a few different charts and some allowance (because I wanted to teach our kids the value of money and how to save, spend and give) but have pretty much stuck to some basic family jobs over the past few years. The problem we have faced is that we couldn’t remember paying out allowances, the kids didn’t seem to care about the money yet and they get tired of doing the same chores. So I like the idea of a rotating chore list like Lyons uses and would assume their interest in money comes along as they get older.

Remember that ages and stages matter and that new strategies can be implemented when starting a new season of your life as a family. If you haven’t implemented any type of chore system yet, there’s still time. Chat with your family about expectations and maybe ask what everyone is willing to help out with. You may find that your daughter would love to help with meal prep or that your son enjoys doing yardwork. When everyone helps out, it creates more free time for the family in general to do as they please or do something together. It also can demonstrate how to help each other and to be grateful for all that others do for you. Check out Pinterest for age-appropriate chores and charts that may help your family.

Stephanie Loux is the mother of Layla, 11, Mason, 10, and Slade, 7, and is feeling inspired to start implementing some fresh ideas with her household.