Mindfulness in the Kitchen

According to my husband I was becoming emotionless and a zombie. Harsh words and I was dumbfounded, shell shocked.

But then the next day, I watched myself. I was going through the motions and getting the jobs done. Bone tired at the end of the day. No time for a conversation, no time to smile. Something had to change.

And so I decided to start with the washing of the vessels. I really don’t know how they pile up. There had to be a method to make it more than a chore. I decided to wash things according to the places they had to go back to. Some fun thinking and voila, everything washed and back in its place.

Of course, I slip up at times and it is all a jumble, but then I still try to pick and wipe things according to the place they have to go back to without disturbing the other utensils. Now, that needs motor coordination, concentration and dexterity. That is mindful washing and drying of vessels, cutlery and crockery. It is no longer a job, it is a game. My own Jenga game!!

As I am writing this, many more ideas are coming to mind for me to try out — pre-math concepts that every child should know to understand math:

• Seriation — arranging from small to big or visa versa.
• Patterning in any way that is suitable for the vessels.
• One to one correspondence

It is true as Robert L Fulghum (1986) said, “All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten.”

Two days ago I quietly peeked into the kitchen after my husband had washed up, there were the vessels all standing in a row and reminded me of the nursery rhyme, “ The ants go marching one by one, Hurrah!! Hurrah!!”