LITTLE CHEF
Mum lets her son, TWO, make his own dinner from scratch – chopping veg & boiling pasta – but insists it’s not dangerous
MOST parents wouldn’t dream of leaving their toddler to their own devices in the kitchen - but this mum actively encourages it.
Extraordinary footage of two-year-old Sylvester slicing and dicing veg, frying mince and serving up steaming pasta by himself doesn't even cause his mum to bat an eyelid.
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Brittany Balinski’s son can now whip up an omelette, porridge, lasagne as well as spag bol wowing and terrifying his Facebook fans in equal measure.
But Brittany is quick to answer any nay-sayers who think she is putting her little boy at risk of burns or knife injuries.
She follows the 100-year-old education system of Maria Montessori, giving children the chance to become independent much earlier.
The mum-of-three, 30, said: "He has always loved cooking, so I have allowed him to follow and develop his interest by spending lots of time in the kitchen with me.
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"We work together, but I stand back and always allow him to try things before offering help.
“We find when he sees the ingredients that go in his food, he is always more likely to eat everything!”
Brittany first introduced her son to cooking before he was even out of nappies.
";Sylvester has been interested in cooking since before he could walk” she said.
“With cautious guidance and trusting care, we have allowed him to expand his culinary skill base at an early age. We introduced specially designed children's knives from 12 months and allowed him to have as much practice as he wanted.
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“Slowly at around 20 months, we introduced him to the stove and carefully allowed him to cook his own meals.
"While Sylvester is very young, it is important to be with your child at all times as they explore the kitchen and teach them how to assess their own risks because the brain at this delicate age can learn to control the body around heat and sharp objects.
“I will never leave him unattended in the kitchen near sharp utensils or hot pans; when he is cooking, I am never more than 10cm from him.
“I put a lot of preparation into the meals we make together so that I can spend less time distracted gathering ingredients and all my time watching him and guiding him.
"Children are so capable of great skills that might be surprising, if we as parents relax and, maintaining a watchful eye, give the child the opportunity to test the limits around them.
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"In my experience, I have found that a twitchy caregiver leads to a twitchy child - these nerves actually cause bigger accidents. If we are calm around potential danger, we let our children use their own innate senses to make their own judgments.
“They may experience minor accidents, but those lead the brain to make better decisions as they grow."
Follow the child is an idea Brittany has used to great effect with both Sylvester and his elder brother Benedykt, 4, who developed a love of churches as a toddler.
He would often ask to visit churches they were passing and his passion even led to him requesting to be baptised at the age of three.
Now Benedykt and Sylvester's three-month-old sister Otylia is also getting in on the act.
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Montessori mums use mirrors during floor time to help tiny babies see themselves and discover more about the world around them.
So important has this way of life become to the family that Brittany has recently celebrated the first anniversary of her business, selling Montessori materials designed with her own children in mind.
Products include wooden placemats with spaces for a plate and cutlery marked out to help children set the table independently.
Brittany has also designed a range of wooden tiles that explore key themes such as weather, emotions and colours.
She said: "Benedykt and Sylvester themselves are my inspiration for everything I do, so each product I come up with is initially designed to serve them.
"I can honestly say it is the best thing ever to have finally found a job that I can genuinely pour all my passion into and to know that I’ve served others as well as my family. I’ve found my happy place!"
Her products and more videos of Sylvester's cooking talents can be found at www.benedyktandsylvester.com
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