Friday Fieldwork: The Pancake Reset
Control makes better pancakes. Grace makes better people.
This post was inspired by a recent article on how making pancakes with your kids can test your patience but deliver great lessons about learning from your own mistakes. Check it out here.
Parenting is basically breakfast with wildness.
You start with a plan, something simple like “Let’s make pancakes!” and end up with…
flour in your hair,
batter on the ceiling,
and a kitchen that looks like a science experiment gone rogue.
The instinct to grab the spatula, fix the flip, or lecture on efficiency is strong. But here’s the truth I keep learning:
Formation takes time.
And it’s almost always messy.
This Week’s Fieldwork: The Pancake Reset
Here’s your reset for this week:
Let them lead.
Hand over the whisk. Give them space to experiment, even if you’re bracing for splatter.Stay curious, not corrective.
When the batter burns or the flip fails, ask, “What do you think happened?” instead of jumping in to fix it. It turns a mistake into a moment of learning.End with affirmation.
Taste the attempt. Smile. Say, “Perfect,” or better yet, name the effort: “You stuck with it,” “You figured it out,” “You made that one your own.”
Why It Works
When you choose curiosity over control, you’re training more than motor skills… you’re shaping resilience.
Psychologists call it self-efficacy…
the belief that “I can handle this.” Every time you hold back from correcting and let them re-try, you’re strengthening that belief.
Over time, those messy moments become memories that teach confidence, patience, and connection.
Closing Reminder
Don’t rush the batter. Don’t grab the spatula. Let grace do the stirring.
Because your kids won’t remember how clean the kitchen was…
they’ll remember how you made them feel in it
My kids are older and these still apply!
This is beautifully said. Control makes cleaner kitchens. Grace builds people. The pancake mess is the point. Great article!