Tweens and teens in the kitchen

Tweens and teens are independent, busy, and bringing their friends home.

• To make life easier in the main kitchen, locate your pantry out of the flow of traffic, and store quick-fix meals towards the front to avoid congestion.
• A side-by-side refrigerator with ice and water in the door is convenient. Be sure to keep drinking cups next to the fridge.
• Install a warming drawer in your base cabinets to keep meals ready for kids eating in shifts.
• Consider installing a second, smaller kitchen in a family or recreation room. (You can use it as a wet bar later or as a prep kitchen for those big holiday dinners with the grandkids much later.) This kitchen cabinet design could have
  • a sink
  • a small refrigerator
  • a microwave
  • a pizza oven
  • a small dishwasher
  • an ice maker
  • pantry space for quick-fix meals and snacks.