In order to finish my cooking and cleaning quickly, I gave bunch of small safe vessels to my toddler and some pom-poms and other art supplies and asked kid to cook with those. When kid stared back in response – because no stove!, I just said that the tiny plate is also circle like a stove, so use the tiny plate as stovetop and eventually once cooking is done, use it as a plate as well.
Kiddo started cooking, put pots on stovetop (aka tiny plate), pom-poms and other art supplies in different vessels and said ‘I am cooking pasta’
However, within 30 seconds got down from the table, ran to the other side, did something for few minutes. I was surprised that kiddo was done with playing cooking so quickly.
A minute later though, ran back suddenly all the while screaming “oh my god, something is burning in the stove, oh my god something is burning, huff huff, I need to switch it off right away” and came and stirred the pot of pompoms in a nervous gesture.
I do not know if the kiddo has got the ‘cooking part’ right, but I am damn sure, kiddo has nailed down ‘a parent cooking’ part.