I wanted to create a fruit dessert for the Shabbos before Tu B’Shevat that was easy and fruity and pretty.
I debated making another rule — a rotation of which kid gets to make a dessert each week. My mind was already planning each child’s week for them when I heard a voice in my head saying, Is this really where you want to limit your kids? (Actually, I think that voice was thanks to my mother, who always let me experiment in the kitchen.)
This is something they enjoy, something they’ve taken the initiative with, and it creates a buzz in the kitchen around contributing towards Shabbos. Is this where I need to make a hard rule? All the rational, structured parts of me were saying yes, but my gut feeling said no. I didn’t make the rule.
My kids’ kitchen messes still get under my skin plenty, but I try to remind myself it’s like any other hobby that requires cultivating and fine-tuning (along with the expense of ingredients that end up in a flopped cake).
When Tu B’Shevat comes around, I usually turn an Esther O. idea or two into the activity of the night. I have a pretty open-fridge policy on Tu B’Shevat, and I love watching how my kids’ minds work in the kitchen, especially when it involves something relatively innocuous like melted chocolate and some fruit. No rules necessary.
Create a free account to keep reading.
