‘A Full Plate’ cookbook author Ayesha Curry shares homeschooling and cooking recipes for other busy moms
Article By Miriam Caldwell // EEW Magazine Online // Parenting
One of EEW Magazine Online’s favorite fab Christian mamas is showing that she can relate to the homeschooling struggle just like any other mom that has been thrown into the role of primary teacher during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The wife, chef and mom of three, who just dropped her new cookbook, The Full Plate, dished to PEOPLE about how she and hubby Steph Curry are doing their best to keep their little ones – son Canon W. Jack, 2, and daughters Ryan Carson, 5, and Riley, 8 – occupied.
Ayesha and her adorable children.
CREDIT: Wardell Curry/Ayesha Curry Instagram
"The kids are small with a ton of energy, so whenever possible, we've been trying to get them outdoors. We've been doing family hikes and when the weather's hot, [we] hang out together by the pool," said Ayesha, 31.
As it relates to figuring out effective homeschooling techniques for her youngest daughter Ryan, the entrepreneurial mom and host of Family Food Fight told the magazine, “We’re in the thick of it.”
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"My oldest is pretty disciplined, so that's been easy, but our 5-year-old has a little trouble staying engaged for an extended period of time," she said.
But Ayesha and Steph, 32, have figured out something that works: "to do some kind of physical activity right before class starts to focus the mind and get some of the wiggles out, and periodic 'dance breaks' between lessons."
Ayesha Curry with husband Steph Curry and their three children.
CREDIT: Ayesha Curry/ Instagram
Ayesha dropped another cool tip. "We also added resistance workout bands to the legs of her chair, which give her something to do if she gets antsy during a long Zoom session.”
For Ayesha, a full plate isn’t just the name of her newest cookbook, a follow-up to her first cookbook, The Seasoned Life. She developed easy recipes out of necessity so that other busy moms juggling numerous roles, just like she is, don’t have to sacrifice taste because of limited time.
"I'm a working mom with three small kids now, so I have less time to devote to cooking and meal prep,” she told PEOPLE. "But because I refuse to sacrifice on the quality of the meal. I've spent the last few years figuring out ways to develop great flavor in as little time and with as little effort as possible."
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If you only have a few minutes to whip up something yummy, Ayesha’s got your back.
"Knowing a lot of busy people are facing the same dilemma, I decided to compile those recipes and techniques, and that's how The Full Plate came to be!" she said.
There were about 2.5 million homeschool students last year in grades K-12 in the U.S., making up about 3% to 4% of school-age children, according to the National Home Educators Research Institute. Due to COVID, those numbers are increasing.
The National Home School Association received more than 3,400 requests for information on a single day in July, up from between five and 20 inquiries per day before the coronavirus. The group had to increase the size of its email inbox to keep up.
