Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old
The prompt
“What's a recipe you actually love helping make? What's your job when we make it?”
What to listen for
If they describe a specific role they always take (stirring, measuring, being the taste-tester), that's them showing you a place where they feel genuinely useful and trusted, which matters more than the food itself. Notice the pride in their voice if they mention doing something more advanced than you'd expect, that's a bid for more responsibility in other areas too.
If they say they don't really have a job or just watch, that's a gentle nudge to give them a real task next time, kids this age want to contribute, not just observe.
If they mention wanting to try a step they're not allowed to do yet (like using a knife or the stove), take that seriously as a real signal of wanting more trust, not just pushing a boundary for its own sake.
What this tells you
This tells you whether they currently feel like a real contributor in family routines or more like a bystander who's along for the ride.