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

High chair?
Walker with wheels?
shove put him in his pram?

When mine was little we hadn't got to redo the kitchen floor. It was old carpet tiles so I didn't want them crawling on it. I would put a travel cot in the kitchen with toys in it, and when a bit older put them in a standing activity centre. They were not so keen on the high chair as wanted to be busy. Good luck

Cheerios on his high chair tray. It practices his pincer grip and buys me a valuable 10 minutes. Most of them end up stuck to him or on the floor so I’m not overly concerned about the sugar. His sippy cup will sometimes buy me another 2 or 3 minutes.

Also prepare in advance. I’ll quite often put something on for dinner while he’s eating his lunch.

The sling helps a bit, depending on what I’m doing.

1. Cook when they are eating.
2. Slow cooker.
3. Take away.

Gosh mine does this too, it's hard. However recently I've discovered I can occupy him for a while if I put him in the high chair closeby and give him some baby rice cakes to 'eat' (make a mess with!). Or if the washing machine is turned on, he will look at that for a few mins lol.

I also used to prep quite a bit earlier in the day and then just do the bare minimum at dinner time if my OH wasn’t around. Jacket potatoes, pasta pesto, meals from cook are your friend here- also agree with making double and reheating. You could also try a snack for your DC at around 3.30 if you’re not doing this already- they could be hungry.

My DS has recently turned one and will still go in the jumperoo / door bouncer while I cook.

DH and I take turns holding/entertaining the 13 month old or I bung something in the slow cooker at lunch whilst he's at nursery. I'm glad I'm not alone. I can't turn away for more than a few seconds without him magicking up a choking hazard/finding something disgusting/running from the room/crying and it is EXHAUSTING.

I've never once made dinner for my 11 month old in the evening. Batch cook during lunch nap and freeze portions. Then every morning I take somethingout the freezer, dinner then takes 30secs in the microwave

Put them in high chair next to you with some peas, sweetcorn or something that takes a while to eat.
Slow cooker and prep during nap times.
TV if they will watch it.
Loud music to drown out the crying if all else fails.

If you are still BFing, pop in a sling on front and feed while cooking; silence and tranquility!

@AfternoonToffee

Ahh the great witching hour which is perfectly designed to cover the time when you are least equipped to deal with it. You have had some good advice, many of us have been there.

This completely! Some great ideas here OP from many who, like me, have survived this!

We resorted to cooking meals at the weekend so I only have to reheat during the week and add a salad or vegetables to it. We are saving up for a kitchen tower for our 14 month old so they can stand in it whilst I do meals.

Ggeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeegeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee at ok l bcDfansadmdfmdaWSJ

I'm having the same issue and have been for months. My baby is 13mths and she can escape the high chair straps and stand up in the chair. I can't have her in a sling because I have a slipped disc and she doesn't nap so I can't cook earlier in the day. We've just moved house and the kitchen isn't safe for her to run around while I cook.
I'm at the end of my tether. When my DP is working nights I tend to go without food because it's too much trouble to cook.
She won't stay in a pen or jumperoo without screaming - the ladder baby jails look interesting but very expensive!

@Snailandthewhale

Ggeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeegeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee at ok l bcDfansadmdfmdaWSJ

Along comes the person who has found the perfect solution: stick baby in front of Mumsnet AIBU and let them go to it

@ayegazumba - but don’t you have to eat every night as well? We all eat together at 6.30pm. By the time we have finished, cleared up, taken 11months old to bed around 8pm and settled him. I wouldn’t want to start cooking for adults at 8.30-9pm. So all meals need to be prepared once.I do batch cook and freeze as well, but in family size portions

@allofthecheese yes I've only just discovered he loves to watch a spin for a couple of mins

@Bogoroditse that's so helpful thank you I will have a look on bbcgoodfood definitely sounds like a godsend having dinner ready regardless of the day you've had!

@AdultierAdult it is exhausting isn't it! I look at Annabel Karmel books and just laugh. So time consuming and unrealistic

@Joeblack066 absolutely, can't thank you all enough will try a few of these today.

@catfeets that sounds really tough, I feel your pain with the screaming. Sometimes nothing will suffice unless they are attached to your hip. I know this phase will pass it's just such so hard practically 😕

@Saracen

I've cooked many a meal with a clingy baby stuck on my back!

I'm with everyone else: TV, safe containment with a distraction, advance prep, alcohol, and just drowning them out and letting them whinge. Good luck!

Also, there is a great IKEA hack out there where you can turn one of their cheap step stools into a learning tower with the addition of a few extra bits of wood if you're at all handy, or your partner is, as the premade ones go for £100+. We have 2 now.

@Snailandthewhale

Ggeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeegeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee at ok l bcDfansadmdfmdaWSJ

Or you can give the baby your phone