Drue is now 8, and not long ago it occurred to me that she wouldn’t know how to make instant pudding, let alone a grilled cheese.

It’s easy to get in the habit of preparing your kid’s meals, but I want my kids to learn the joys of cooking, or at least get them started young enough to decide if it’s a hobby they like! Being served a snack requiring more assembly than just pouring milk on top would be a bonus, too. (Although, the Froot Loops in bed on Mother’s Day are precious and delicious, you know!)

Nachos seemed to be a good starting point. She carefully assembled a layer of chips with a sparse layer of cheese, and I gave her the microwave lesson. We talked about variations, like adding peppers or chicken.

She was delighted with the result, and promptly made me a plate.

A couple days later, I saw her rummaging in the fridge, and I watched from across the room as she once again assembled her chips and cheese, and then came out of the pantry with a Hershey bar. She broke the rectangles apart and spaced them, deliberately and evenly, over the top of her chips and cheese.

30 seconds later, I saw her take a bite.

She promptly walked to the garbage and dumped the whole plate.