Especially around the holidays, parents feel even more rushed than usual. School activities, work, household chores, shopping, all that stuff adds up to stress and headaches, especially when dealing with a fussy eater. One solution is to get the kids into the kitchen to cook along with Mom and Dad.

Children can make good cooks if time is taken to set some rules and keep things simple. First rule is, of course, all hands must be washed before they touch food or dishes. Keep the child's age and abilities in mind when deciding what cooking activities he's ready for.

Even the youngest of cooks can tear up salad greens or decide which of the healthful ingredients set out on the counter should go into her roll-up. Choose colorful foods that are fresh and full of flavor and nutrients that growing bodies need.

Set rules for who can use which implements like knives and the cook top. Reserve these for older family members. Kids can still enjoy mixing ingredients with a spoon, measuring and pouring foods they are ready to handle, and creating their own delicious pizza from carefully chosen foods.

Give each child a ball of homemade pizza dough made with whole grains to roll out. Then let them spread on homemade pizza sauce and load up the toppings before Mom or Dad pops the creation into the oven.

Use some of the ideas in the video to create homemade meals together that kids will actually eat.

When it comes to mealtime, nothing works better than collaboration to get the evening off to a great start. While they're in the kitchen, have kids pack a lunch to take to school. Then everybody pitches in for clean-up. Cooking with kids can lighten the load and make dinner a happier experience for everyone.