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.

This if 6 month old is fed, put them down in their cot while you cook, maybe give a dose of Calpol ?

I'd make chicken nuggets, waffles and beans. So you're not really cooking.

Nope.

Our situation is pretty unusual though. It helps that she's small. As I said, the reason for it is medical related.

But if it's possible to bung something in an oven or make some sandwiches with a 5yo attached, its very very doable with a 6m old. It's the most practical solution I've found to when they are ill, clingy and need cuddles, whilst everyone else needs sorting.

We are a more a home made curry, rice and kebabs family

But tonight is definitely mini kievs and some wedges 😅 a salad on the side

Thank you so much!
I've been making a list on my phone of all "easy, ready prep" meals.
Also ordered in some microwaveable meals for the really dreadful days 😅

I need to stay of TikTok and all the perfect "mother of 6 cooking meals" they clearly have some sort of help behind the scenes

God I had one of these.
I used to make a veg curry and chilli to heat up in microwave for these moments
or leftover rice to make egg fried rice with frozen peas/sweetcorn and chopped pepper. Takes about 3 mins!

Yes do not look on social media!!! They do not reflect reality at all and you'll just feel shit. There is nothing wrong with a picnic tea or beans and eggs on toast or jacket potatoes for tea at all.

@morphlerana just want to say that I hope today is better for you all. You got everyone fed and didn't punch the neighbour, so all good! If the neighbour turns up again, say "oh thank goodness you popped round", hand her the baby and go for a wee on your own. Adults who turn up at houses with small tetchy babies have to earn their keep.

Hope you enjoyed your sandwich. You did a good job.

Oh yeah, social media family stuff is the worst. The guilt you feel for not starting your day harvesting wheat so you can make a 3 ingredient loaf of sourdough with homemade butter and whatever home grown produce you've just collected for your allotment.
I'm sure it must be wonderful to have the Time, energy and resources to live a fully organic lifestyle but the reality for myself and I imagine most others, there are days our kids are getting fish fingers, chips and beans and that is enough.
I spend so much time feeling guilty about stuff anyway whilst they're little, they don't have matching outfits at Christmas, we don't holiday in Italy or bali, one kid uses the word fuck as an sentence filler, I just don't have the space to beat myself up about the other tiktok stuff 😂

Baby in sling and make a quick dinner.

Tell your neighbours no, everything is not ok and they can come and make lunch or hold the baby? 🤣. In all seriousness, try and do some dinner prep when the kids are asleep at night and freeze portions to just stick in the microwave with one hand. Alternatively, the 6 year old can make a couple of sandwiches under your supervision while you hold the baby? Hang in there, is not easy! X

I would put 6m in the sling, make food for the others, hope 6m old falls asleep but if not take him out when the others are fed and he can sleep then.
tonight I left my 2m in the car seat (we had just come in) screaming while I sorted the older two because I knew if I put him into the sling he would sleep and I knew he needed a nappy change and a feed.

Also my partner is batch cooking at weekends and portioning stuff into Tupperware for the freezer. This is making weekdays so much easier for me and is a practice I’m going to be taking forward. It’s genius! I just whip it out put it in the microwave for 5 mins and then serve. And there’s different options for everyone which is also helpful, we have a very fussy 5 year old and a very adventurous 14 year old 😂

I hope after all this you practice some self care. Sit down chill and repeat they are all fine . Parent hood can be brutal . I went through this decades ago and felt for u .

Hope things have calmed down. I expect your neighbour was being kind - I have done the same when heard a screaming baby, but offered to help hold baby while mum had a break. Perhaps that’s what your neighbour meant. Next time ask for some practical help if the neighbour calls ‘thank you for checking up n me neighbour, could you make some beans on toast for the kids/hold baby for 5 mins while I put dinner in the oven’

Breakfast for dinner! My two loved that when my third baby was screeching. Cereal and milk, toast and peanut butter or marmite and fruit!! Some cheese slices if they fancied. Used to make it like it’s ever so crazy and naughty to do. My kids loved the sense it was rebellious…. In fact we often had play dates asking if Breakfast for Dinner was really true and asking to partake. I became the stuff of legends in the playground…..

Good point.

Does the shop not take returns, OP?

Maybe send one of them back and re-order in a couple of years?

If I had triplets, for example, I'd definitely send at least one and maybe two back as "not as advertised".

Here's hoping the OP is having a better day!

Honestly I don't have kids or have anything much to do with them but I'm pretty sure they don't explode or become traumatised for life because they are left to cry it out once in a while. I mean toothache makes me cry too so I get it!

ok For tonight I would order a takeaway or rustle up some beans/ scrambled egg on toast while the baby is in a sling or your 6 yr old holds baby.

for rest of the week as PP has suggested get some microwaveable options in such as rice pouches, microwaveable veg bags, pre cooked grilled chicken, or tortellini with pesto etc. make it as easy as possible for yourself, good luck! Xx

I know the feeling oh so well!

Put them in water or take them outside are the two things that are meant to stop the screaming. Obviously no use while you’re actually making the dinner but good to get them to quickly snap out of a screaming episode! Once they are a tiny bit bigger it does get easier, I now give mine a piece of melon or something in the high chair while I make dinner. A matchstick monkey at that age in the high chair might have stopped it for a few minutes at least. They do just want to be held at times and I just wasn’t a baby wearing person really so would do things with one arm if I really had to

What an actual rockstar you are op.

These are the moments that just can be so totally overwhelming and make you feel like shit but you bossed it.

Amazing.

Hope baby is feeling better soon and is able to get some (laid down) sleep so you can get some down time as well. I always find after those days a good hot shower, fresh jammies and a hot cuppa and chocolate is the ticket.

Haven't read the whole thread but just a thought, could baby have reflux? If they are screaming while lying flat, try putting a rolled up towel under the mattress to lift them up to an angle which might help. Also maybe a cold teething ring in their mouth (obviously not suggesting you leave them on their Todd with that!). Failing which if you have the spare cash a jumparoo is brilliant- put them in it and they will bounce about with distractions and you know they are safe enough that you can cook without having to hold them. Was a God send for me. Good luck. Teething is a nightmare x

I always kept fruit pouches and baby biscuits in a low cupboard that they could get themselves for times like this.

What a stupid post

Sometimes they just have to be left to cry for a little bit op, when my younger 2 were tiny I'd often stick stuff in the slow cooker if we were having a bad day