Baby screaming, kids starving what do you do?

[morphlerana]

So my 6 month old is teething, not well and won't stop screaming, he's tired, and wants to contact nap. When I try put him down, screaming starts.

My 6 yr old and 3 year old are hungry I need to prepare dinner. Do I let him scream?? I had to for 5 minutes while I made the 3 year old lunch today and had the neighbours asking if everything is okay because of the screaming
But what realistically do I do.

I have three the same age gaps and my 3rd was a screamer! This brings back memories.

Quite often I'd just take them all to the Asda cafe for a cheap tea. Baby could scream there instead.

I'd often have the baby in a sling on my back while I cooked.

My eldest was very good and sometimes he'd rock the pram for me.

I'd put baby down somewhere safe and close to me...chuck frozen food in oven. Won't take more than three minutes.

Sling!

This is the time I’d do a cheesy pasta!! (Pasta and grate cheese over!!) Then fruit and a yoghurt afterwards. You can hold him most of the time!! Best of luck op, it’s so hard!!

Slow cooker, batch cooking, microwave.
Every chance I had to cook I would do at least double the amount, freeze half in portions, put the other portions in the fridge for the next day. Always cooked in the evenings or if there was a bit of time in the day. We had meals that could be prepped in stages then chucked in the slow cooker.
Once you get in the swing of it you are always a couple of meals ahead and you never have to prepare or cook a meal from scratch when everyone is clamouring.
Everything was easily heated, served in a bowl and could be eaten with a spoon.

Loads of meals take little to no effort...put a couple of jacket potatoes in the microwave and open a can of tuna or grated some cheese. Some frozen nuggets, oven chips and peas is absolutely fine too. A supermarket pizza and cut up some cucumber to go on the side. Buy some ready cooked chicken and microwave a sachet of rice. All these things won't take longer than five minutes.

Sling and or throw freezer food onto a tray in the oven. Ask 6 year old to get ketchup/ plates/ cutlery out.

Feed baby while distributing biscuits. Cook later. Takeaway if I have the money.

Not because I think that’s the right order mind you, I just hate screaming babies and love biscuits

You have my sympathy, I remember these days clearly and it feels like your drowning at the time. Baby will be fine while you chuck something in the oven or prepare something simple (but please do not put a baby in a car seat on top of kitchen work surface like someone suggested 🤦🏻🙄)

I would get mcdonalds if I had the money but otherwise bung something frozen in the oven.

Lots of cuddles and calpol for the little one, sofa cuddles and a film on tonight for the older kiddies.

Sending you lots of love xx

My second was like this. I’d put him in a bouncer chair in kitchen (away from oven/hob) and let him scream while I cooked. It’s awful but not really any other option.

My third child was a screamer when put down. It lasted until he was mobile. I had a really good sling and had to wear him for about 10 hours a day - he was a huge baby so it was pretty exhausting. I look back on it fondly though. He's 9 now and has stopped screaming 😂😬🙃

My youngest was a screamer. I had no choice but to put her down while I made my son dinner. I had a bouncer chair that I put her in... She still hated it.... But better than nothing 🤣

Sling & something simple.

My 5yo has some medical issues, is very clingy and I cook with her in the sling even now if she's not well.

Needs must.

Slings didn’t work for me. Dc2 just had to sit and yell in his playpen while I fed Dc1. Not fun, but it’s not forever.

Don't panic. Babies cry. It's in their job description. It's how they communicate. Put baby down somewhere safe and let them cry. Bung dinner in the oven. Return to baby.

I have kids simillar age. Honestly in this scinerio/feeling at my whits end, I'd bundle everybody in the car and go to a drive thru. My baby would fall asleep in the car. Even if baby wakes when you get home they're likely very overtired and a short nap will help you get them down later. You and the kids have eaten and you've had half an hour not attached to a screaming baby.

Shove fish fingers and smiley faces in the oven while holding the baby with the other hand. The baby will probably still be crying, but I would feel less stressed than putting them down.

I think hunger has to over ride baby. He can cry but right now the others need to be feed. And you need to make sure you eat as well

1. Yep sometimes baby has to cry.
2. Can you teach the 6 year old to help with food prep? Eg you open a tin of beans. Teach 6 year old to put toast on& butter it. Mine'd have been fine heating beans on hob with supervision too.

Then all you have to do is chuck beans on toast. No its not perfect but its fine

1. Cook when you can! Don't leave the dinner prep until then. As soon as there's a moment in the day when baby is calm/asleep, throw the spag bol sauce together & cook some pasta so it only needs reheating later.

Carrier / wrap. Used it all the time with my second to see to my first

More than anything ignore nosey neighbour. But yes baby carrier and air fryer is handy if you don’t already have one as much easier and quicker to deal with than an oven when carrying a baby.

Sling or McDonalds delivery.