What's the deal with holiday baking anyway? It is supposed to be fun - but over the years I've always wondered what was so fun about long hours in the kitchen with small children - not to mention after all the work the cookies are consumed in nano seconds! I honestly do better baking in certain conditions......when I have nothing else pressing, it is quiet and I can think, and there is no mess. OK - well that eliminates Christmas! Sporadically over the years I have strived to be the "wonderful" mother who patiently baked cookies with her toddlers. Thankfully most years I had grandma's help! Each year got better - and now 3.5 out of 4 kids can either independently bake or do parts of the process alone. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
This is good, because I do LOVE giving cookies away! And now after years of perseverance I think I have learned a few valuable lessons: (For me - not necessarily all of America)
#1 - Have realistic expectations: There will be a mess. It will take longer than planned. The floor will need mopped.
#2 - Personal piles......For those who are not accomplished at multiple levels in the baking field yet - give them their own little pile of dough to work with. Let them smoosh, cut, lick, whatever. It is theirs and they even get to bake it - but of course it will not be for general consumption.....It usually does the trick for their general interest and attention span.
#3 - Make all the dough at one time and refrigerate/freeze for later baking....this was the first year I tried this and it was great! One big mess was made but then all gone and just mounds of dough waiting to be worked with when it was convenient for me and not all at one time. We spaced our baking over a week and little at a time - and there were different helpers interested on different days this way. 
#4 - The right icing! I finally found a recipe for icing that is good and it hardens - so the cookies look beautiful and don't smudge!
#5 - It is worth it.....bottom line is the kids always surprise me. Someone feels valuable, helpful and creative.
Jon's creations.....
Even the mess is a work of art!
#6 - People are blessed. It is fun to surprise people with treats and the kids love delivering.
#7 - It doesn't happen every year. Some years there is just no time to bake. That is ok. Neighbors and friends might be sad - but it is not worth the stress!
#8 - Life is better when you persist through frustration and learn from it! : )
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