Last week I did something this perfectionist has never been able to do in six years of motherhood; I let our girls bake Christmas cookies all by themselves. And not just any cookies…ridiculously messy cut out Christmas cookies with three colors of frosting and sprinkles. Go big or go home right?
Our youngest had been home for a few days with a high fever and we were all were feeling a bit of cabin fever and needing some fun. When I suggested making cookies I imagined the break and bake chocolate chip cookies that they could add red and green M&M’s to. When the cookie cutters started coming out and their excitement was starting to build, all I envisioned was the work that was ahead of me and groaned.
The flour from the rolling pin splattered across the granite countertops and beyond.
The sprinkles on the floor.
The hours of cleanup including handwashing all of the frosting tools and mixer.
But as she gazed at me with the still pale face and hopeful eyes, how could I say no to the first batch of Christmas cookies of the season? I mean this is what the holidays are all about right? Making memories with your kids while destroying your house? And while I usually hover and oversee all aspects of cookie baking operations, this time I shocked myself by saying, “Why don’t you girls make these all by yourself?”
They were stunned as well and then squealed in delight as they set off to start mixing. We made it easy, using packaged sugar cookie mix and they added the butter and even cracked the egg with no shell. Then while letting the dough chill they had a blast playing in the flour.
After a few minutes of that sensory exercise and making a certifiable mess, it was time to roll the dough, and start cutting the cookies out. Our oldest worked methodically trying to make as many cookies as she possibly could. I was so impressed with how she was even able to lift the cookies onto the cookie sheet, a feat I even struggle with.
When the cookies were baking we made the frosting, again a fun task for my taste testers. They even helped me mix three different colors for their masterpieces.
My kitchen table was transformed into their art studio where their Christmas cookie creations came to life. Snowflakes were crystallized with white and blue, stockings and candy canes made red and white, and the Christmas trees and their decorations blew me away. They had so much fun piling on the frosting and sprinkles that I couldn’t help but watch in amazement.
How freaking pretty is that tree? No help from mama on that one.
And luckily they let me decorate a couple too!
Mommy’s crappy Christmas cookies
At one point our 6 year old asked, “Mom is this perfect?!” I replied, “There’s no such thing as perfect honey, but it’s beautiful. They all are.”
The floor may have been littered with sprinkles and frosting, the table and rug underneath covered in cookie paraphernalia, and the sink overflowing with dishes, but that evening ended up being one of my favorite new Christmas memories. The cookies were exactly as they should be, deliciously decorated by two children full of Christmas spirit.
Only took two long hours to clean up the aftermath of the not so crappy Christmas cookie experiment.
Sure, some looked crappy, and had so many sprinkles when I took a bite it felt like I cracked a tooth, but it was an important exercise for all of us. I learned to let go of my expectations of Pinterest perfect cookies, gained loads of patience, and was wowed by our six-year-old’s baking and decorating skills. They learned how to make cookies from start to finish, (don’t worry I did oven duty) and found a new confidence in the kitchen and their mom.
Christmas is supposed to be a time of reflection and to rejoice with our families as we celebrate the birth of Christ and the coming new year. As we all rush around to finish the gifts, the cooking, and the million and one stresses looming, don’t forget to make time to make memories and create new traditions. And if you can muster the mess while the kids are home on winter break, please let them make their own crappy Christmas cookies for Santa this year. Even if they’re messy, they’ll still be perfectly imperfect, and most likely the hit of the party!
do you let your kids make their own cookies?
PS – these are my FAV to make with the kiddos, have you ever made reindeer cookies? So easy, try them!
aww love this!! It looks like a fun day!
This is so funny because we just made sugar cookies today! W is only two so I had to help him out a bit more, but it’s really a lot of fun letting them take charge. I’m not much of a baker (or perfectionist for that matter), so it’s not as difficult for me to let him take over. Haha Then I have an excuse for why they don’t look pinterest-perfect.
This is absolutely wonderful! And all the pictures—adorable! I think I’ll let my threenagee attempt sugar cookies this year.
I know the clean up wasn’t fun, but this is fabulous. Perfection is overrated and right here you have created some memories that you and your girls will share forever and I bet remember someday many years in the future when they let their children make them alone.
yes that’s what I’m hoping!
I’ll bet that a (future) “Grandma” will be there helping those (future) kids with this sugary fun…
i love this so much! i (sadly) rarely bake with my kids because i get so frustrated with them “doing it wrong.” but you’ve helped me see the value in letting go. and your kids did great!
me too! I rarely let them help because of the mess. But we talked about measurements, and I taught them how to roll dough. It was a LONG process, and so much to clean up. But they LOVED it. And were so incredibly proud.
I’ve been contemplating letting my kids do this. Your experience just pushed me over the edge in my decision-making 😉 They’ll be so excited!
Awww…I can’t wait to see you post pics!
I love that you let go! I love handing my kids a tub of frosting, some sprinkles, a pile of cookies and letting them go to town! I even have fun decorating them too!
I think they did a great job! I let the perfect cookie thing go a few years ago. Honestly, it was a time issue. I didn’t have time to do it “my way.” I just supervised while I tended to other tasks. And guess what? The cookies tasted the same. Merry Christmas.
If my girls could make cookies that looked like that, I’d let them do it all the time! Right now they end up with more on the floor than on the sheet.
Thanks for this reminder. We’re doing cookies this weekend and now I want the kids to be the main bakers!
When I was in high school, my friends’ mom let us have a flour fight in her kitchen. It was EVERYWHERE. EV-ERY-WHERE. We looked like ghosts. The cabinets went from brown to white. The floor was a skating rink. And it was a blast. We cleaned it up after we were done. No harm, no foul. I wonder why I get so uptight about things sometimes. I want my kids to have memories like that.
We do this every year, too with Gingerbread cookies and snowmen, too. So thank you for the not so gentle reminder 😉
I think they look great. We have two rolls of Pilsbury sugar dough in our fridge and I’m dreading the whole thing a little less now.
Oh that will be easy and fun! Just pop it in the freezer if you do roll out cookies and it won’t stick!
Girl Scout Cookie Swap. Last weekend. 4 dozen. Sugar and flour everywhere. Two and a half hours of mixing and baking. And… I survived! Jessie even got the award for Yummiest cookie. A simple sugar cookie with sprinkles baked in. (And, two batches of pizzelle batter thrown in the trash for tasting yucky.) So what if my teenager shared, “you know, if you rearrange the letters in Santa, it spells Satan. And her brother replied, “YOU’RE Satan!” Ah, good times.
Thanks for sharing the sweetness of this event and your beautiful girls. And, the reminder that it isn’t about the tasks of Christmas, or the control we feel we need. It’s about the MEMORIES! We will miss this someday…..
wow you are my idol! And yes letting go of control is so much fun isn’t it?!
Aww, these came out so cute! It’s not fun to clean but it’s sure fun to watch the kids have a blast in the kitchen.
That looks like it was all sorts of fun. I always liked cooking with the kids when they were really little.
Baking with kids is never perfect or mess free but it is lots of fun. They did a great job decorating too! I stumbled.
These are the memories they will think about when they are adults. What a wonderful day for everyone. I think their cookies are really cute!
I make some with my daughter every year. It is hard to let go and let things turn out not quite perfect. But that is when the fun happens.
What a wonderful memory for everyone! I loved baking when I was little! I still do!
My kids enjoy help me make cookies also. Who cares if they do not look good, it’s the memories making them is what matters!
This is so beautiful. I’ve yet to let my kids make cookies by themselves and I always make sure to help. Maybe in 2-3 years I can let go and let them be. Until then, they just enjoy eating the cookies I bake.
I love the name Crappy Christmas Cookies :p I love the magic that happens when you have the kid work together, whether in the kitchen or on a craft project!
I love, love, LOVE this post!!! It can be so hard to prioritize what’s “worth” it and what isn’t, especially when the payment is cleaning up and taking time you feel like you don’t have. I’ve had to learn the hard way that just 30 minutes less on the computer will allow me 30 minutes more to clean up playdough, or cookie dough, or books. It’s all about perspective and YOU’VE GOT IT, GIRL! Love the cookies they made. They look GORGEOUS and I would be so excited to get cookies like those for Christmas presents 🙂
MERRY CHRISTMAS KRISTEN!!
Looks like you had so much fun. Who needs perfect cookies anyway?
They’re really beautiful! And surely a hit with the kids. Scarlet had that 48 hour high fever thing. Des now too! He threw up too, but I think it’s more because Scarlet just rested and he ran around like a lunatic and ate too much.
Making cookies is my perfect speed.
It’s probably the biggest kitchen mess of the entire year, but every messy bit of it is worth it. You can’t replace those memories!
I admit, I have never let my kids make crappy cookies. I am way too “do it all myself” minded, but I should let them do it to make them happy.
Aww, look at that sweet little face! Wow, they did do really great. That Christmas tree is perfect! It was nice of them to let you decorate a few too, hah. I hope you guys have a Merry Christmas!
Love this post! It’s a wonderful lesson that is applicable all year round. Sometimes beauty is truly found in imperfections. Besides, some of those perfectly frosted cookies taste terrible!