Kids Cuisine

I knew before we even started that it would end badly, but I thought the kids would have a lot of fun making a gingerbread house. I was right on both points.

When we went shopping a couple weeks ago, my daughter spotted a gingerbread house kit and, oh, she wanted it. It sounded like a great time. The whole family can help build it, we can spend a little time admiring our confectionery creation, and then we can sample its tasty goodness. All true, in theory.

Then, we pulled it out. My husband and I had to take turns alternating between child-bouncer and gingerbread house builder as we got the most basic, core walls and roof pieced together.

None of the children could contain themselves. Seeing all that candy and cookie goodness in front of them was just too much. The two toddlers saw us building, and you could see a gleam in their eyes that just screamed, “Destroy!”

We got them settled just enough by divvying up the gumdrops, candy canes and hard candies. My over-stimulated son proceeded to crumble two candy canes in his chubby little fists with sheer 1-year-old adrenaline before we decided candy canes were simply not necessary.

There was actually this quiet, special time (I think it may have lasted approximately 92 seconds) when all three children happily placed candies onto the roof and into the icing. They might have sneaked a couple candies in as they decorated, but it wasn’t too crazy. There might have been a couple subtle nudges to get better house-decorating position.

Then it was just too much. Maybe it was the quick rush from sugar. Maybe it was the excitement of the group activity. Maybe it was the visual stimulation from all those red, yellow and purple candies. Decorating deteriorated into devouring. It was an elbowing free-for-all to grab all the candy off the just-built house.

We decided the only way to save the house was to evacuate it immediately. I safely lifted it and delicately handed it off to my husband. He successfully walked it into the kitchen and set it oh so carefully onto the counter. At which point, mere moments later, it collapsed entirely.

I didn’t expect the gingerbread house to last long, but I didn’t realize its lifespan would be mere minutes. That’s OK, though, because everyone had a great time. There were laughs, there were tears. There were a couple minor meltdowns. Ah, holiday memories.

Photo of gingerbread house, © Miranda Laskowska