How am I supposed to cook with a clingy toddler?

[StrawberryMartini]

It just feels really dangerous! He's clinging onto my trousers screaming "mummy mummy" and I either drag him round the kitchen like that or cook one-handed while holding him.

And while I'm at it.. is there a magic cure for clinginess (sp)? Do I give into it for the moment? I'm a SAHM and a childminder btw - he's definitely less clingy when the other children are around.

He'll grow out of it. You could video his favourite TV prog and let him watch it for 20mns whilst you cook (if that's not against your principles...)

How old? Give him pans to play with? Play do? Colouring? Or playing with water standing at the sink? Or 'helping' you?

He's not yet 18 months so distraction works for a minute or two and no more. Not against TV at all but again he'll only watch for a minute and screams as soon as I leave the room anyway!

Maybe a TV in the kitchen is a solution!

keep 1, or preferably 2 cupboards full of unbreakable things and when he starts whinging, just open the door. I guarantee it will distract him for at least 5 minutes. for the rest of the time, you need to learn the toddler-hop. It takes some skill, but once you've got the hang of it you can dance over your toddler while he twirls around in searcj of a leg to cling to. It works best to country music.

Message withdrawn

Thanks all - will try today. LOL SP!

sit him at the table with some colouring, play dough, wooden spoons to bang
don't worry he'll grow out of it

Cupboards with wooden spoons, measuring cups, tupperware etc are great. I've resorted to bribing with a biscuit and when all else fails I put her on my back in the ergo.

DS used to like stacking small cans (sweetcorn, tuna etc) at this age and playing with the clothes pegs.
I made sure he was wearing slippers or shoes if he was stacking the cans.

I started doing all my preparations at the kitchen table so ds could "help". We ate a lot of casseroles when he was younger!

strawberry - my DS is EXACTLY the same and it drives me insane. Our kitchen and lounge arent next to each other so i leave him by the tv and by the time i get back to the kitchen he's run in screaming.(just what i dont need after a day at work!)

I've tried the pots and pans, colouring, all sorts but nothing seems to work. I just hope it'll wear off soon!

Oh and when DH comes home i always think that he'll help but DS gets worse and screams mummy even louder!!

I know that doesnt help, but i wanted you to know that your not alone!

He wants to do what you are doing

I made an enclosed box so mine could stand at work-surface height and join in

I've learnt not to let them mess with the garlic or chillis but basically everything we cook has a few teeth-marks in...

Wash his hands first

I'm getting this with a 13 month old and although she can't speak she can whine and scream for England. So I have to cook with minimum fuss. This means that I have to prepare all the veg the night before and make meatballs, curries, chillies etc and freeze them then it's a case of turning the oven on and shoving it in. It requires a bit of organising but it's a lot less stressful. I also have the baby friendly cupboard but like you, the novelty lasts about 3 minutes.

Can you move his highchair into the kitchen.

I used to sit dd1 in her high chair with a plastic bowl, wooden spoon and a small whisk. She used to copy me , but it kept her quite while i was cooking.

Now aged 3yrs 10mth she loves helping .

we had a stair gate across our kitchen from the moment they became mobile... I used to put their toys on the floor outside the door so they could stil see me...
our kitchen is quite small and it would be an accident waiting to happen if one of them was around my feet..

It's a nightmare isn't it. I sometimes resort to chucking together a box of Interesting Things and leaving dd to explore that while I race to get something cooked.

How did you make your enclosed box MP? Was only thinking yesterday how useful one would be.

i have a picture in my office here of ds "helping" me make bread when he was around 18 months. picture is cute but all i can think of is what happened to all the flour on the floor and the chair he was standing on when he decided to have a wee, (he had no nappy on)

Thanks all! He's not been in a highchair for almost a year - got a booster so will sit him in there at the table with a sharp knife and some onions .

Mushrooms! Even if you're not cooking with mushrooms...they can be cut with something like a playdough knife and can be cut into tiny weeny bits for some considerable time. When my DCs were toddlers they always "helped" me by cutting up the mushrooms - I'd give them their own chopping board etc. Eventually they did suss that I wasn't actually cooking the mushromms, though .

These are really good tips - I'm almost looking forward to meltdown hour to try some out! And we ARE having mushrooms today....

mushrooms - what a brilliant idea. I will try that tomorrow.

Mine either played with saucepan of dry pasta and spoons, bowls etc on the floor. Or sat on the work top next to me and mashed up tea bags in a cup etc. Also second mushrooms.