To ask how you cook dinner with a crying baby?

[Dotdotlineline]

Just that really! 1 year old son constantly cries when put down. I have a play kitchen close so he can play but he just cries to be picked up.

I'm going out my mind. Every evening it's the same battle to cook something before he has a full on meltdown.

I am struggling

Oh yes, we have a "tower" too - a kind of stool with walls. It's FANTASTIC as soon as you can trust them to stand up in it (even if they have to grip the sides).

Could you sit him in the high chair as close to you as is safe so he can watch you cook and chop? Talk to him as you go... or I find singing everything works a treat. Make up a funny song about chopping with actions. Failing that I hate to say it but relying on convenience food for a while might be worth a go. Good luck

We have a little helper tower too or "baby jail" as it's affectionately called in our house. He can stand in there and feel involved to it's more yelling for dinner than crying which is much more manageable.

Strap him into his highcheir where he can see you, with something small scattered on the tray to eat ( banana slices, or raisins. or a crust of bread and butter). Turn the radio on, and cook.

Mine would be in the sling on a front carry and I’d just chat to them about what I was doing the whole time.
But tricky leaning round them sometimes 🤣 and I certainly wouldn’t do anything with hot spitting oil! But worked OK.

And for the really need-you days, get someone else to cook, go for something simpler, get a takeaway!

Good luck - it does pass 🙂

TV time, highchair with some a bit to keep him entertained. My DD does it sometimes and I let her cry for 5 minutes whilst talking to her as she just by the door in her playpen and she realises im not going to pick her so she stops and plays with her toys or singing to her sometimes helps. Other times I may just give up and wait for DP to stop work so he can hold her whilst I cook and we have dinner a bit later than usual.

This is what the TV (him) and wine (you) were made for :-D

I'm half kidding about the wine, you probably don't want to start cracking into that at 5pm every day. But sometimes, needs must!

My eldest was like that!! You have my sympathy! I found the slow cooker great at that age because it moved all the cooking to earlier in the day when she was napping or happier to play on her own. If I was doing something quick like a stir I would do the prep during nap to cut down the cooking time in the evening. It is a phase and does pass but it feels impossible when you are living through it!!!

I always waited for my husband to get home when mine were small and grumpy and let him cook tea while I had the baby (or vice versa). If that's not possible I'd go for something simple, something from the freezer or slow cooker or anything that requires minimal effort.

I hear you op, it’s tough. One major help is making food in nap time. That’s when I’m organised so not very often, if my husband is at work I have to put the tv on, it’s not ideal but I can’t listen to them scream/try and touch the hot oven while I cook.

High chair is a godsend
Give them kitchen things like plastic ladle , tubs etc to play with and they can pretend they are banging about cooking
It’s really safe as they can be strapped in
I’ve also in the past had the DC in high chair with you tube kids / songs etc on propped up against kitchen cabinet wall and I’ll be on other side Cooking and prepping

I had a baby bouncer installed in the kitchen doorway and used to pop DD in there to bounce (and I sang) while I cooked. It worked well most times. Some great advice here in this thread. Good luck!

DH does most of the cooking at ours (for everyone's sake!!) but if he's working late, I just put DS in his high chair, strap him in and put YouTube / Cocomelon on for him to watch, give him some veggies to chew on, sing along etc...The kitchen normally is an utter mess and sometimes he's still fussing a bit but as a PP said, I find that red wine helps a lot!! 🙊

We do tend to have easy, quick meals during the week though and do the tasty cooking at weekends when we have more time and cook enough to have leftovers for Mon / Tue.

Thank you everyone there are some really good tips here. I work from home until 2pm then pick daughter up from school so I like to cook something early For her otherwise I would happily eat convenience food each night.

I will try some of these great tips and report back!.....goes to pour wine 🍷

To be honest, if you have met all their needs, is doesn't hurt to let them cry for a short time whilst you cook (obviously basic family cooking not an elaborate meal prep!)

I used the electronic babysitter or simply tuned out to the crying

I used a baby jail as well, so DS could be right up next to me at the counter, and I prepped the majority of meals whilst he was asleep. Nowadays I work from home so I drop stuff into the slow cooker in the am ready for supper.

Prop him up next to you and let him nibble as you’re making it? If he’s eaten three sticks of cucumber or a handful of cheese by teatime then at least he’s partly fed and happy!

It’s fine to cook really simple stuff too.

Like baked chicken and baked potatoes. Or pasta with bacon and cream. Or soup and some cheese.

In answer to thread title, don't!

Beans on toast
Microwave jackets with cheese
A tray of oven food, fish fingers and chips.

Batch cook slow cooker spag bol, stock up the freezer.. just microwave a Tupperware of the mince/sauce while you boil pasta with frozen peas.

Frozen batch cook chili and micro rice.

No point stressing yourself and kids out. Cooking isn't neccessary on a night.

In the Night Garden is on at a very convenient time 👍

Answer was dp cooked 😂

Just have a gin and sing songs from the musicals to drown out the noise.

My no1 rule when I have a teeny one is prep dinner straight after breakfast. Either slow cooker on, or a bung it all in the oven type traybake, even to the extent of programming my oven to turn on say at 4pm! That way the most I need to do is boil some pasta or cook some peas etc and dinner is on the table. Cooking during the witching hour is a recipe for disaster in my house. Bbcgoodfood.com has lots of one pot/tray recipes and slow cooker recipes. If the rest of the day is a disaster, you still get dinner that way!

Usually did as much as o could during nap or am earlier meal and finished it if with toddler in a ring sling on my side. That way I could angle her away from the hon (and obviously limited
what I'd cook) but she was still having a hug and could see.

How old is he? Just turned 1, or nearly 2?
My DD is 21 months and sits on the surface and “helps” me cook (plays with a handful of pasta in a pan and a wooden spoon mainly, but I let her stir stuff, or add herbs to something by taking them out of my hand and putting them in etc). It keep her happy enough if it’s a relatively quick meal.