When you have/had a newborn and a toddler how do you get dinner on the table?

[sedgieloo]

Just struggling some days, any advice welcome.

Get your dh to cook dinner for you all.

Or get dh to entertain children when you cook.

Set children up with activity before you start cooking.

The newborn went in a stretchy wrap sling.
I prepped some of the meal earlier in the day.
I batch cooked, so some nights I only had to reheat.
The toddler would watch tv.

It was the toughest part of the day in my opinion, but the sling was a complete life saver

Yes, a sling and cbeebies. I stopped putting the telly in until I wanted to cook so toddler was keen to watch.

And I changed what I cooked a bit - hard to do much fine chopping and stir frying with a sling in the way.

We are plain eaters. Meat and veg. I did do double potato and carrots yesterday when we had roast chicken. And that has helped today when I am grilling some nice sausages with honey mustard glaze. Some days it's bung in the oven frozen fish and chips and peas. Especially of I have been out

What are you cooking and eating? It has to be toddler and breast feeding friendly, not spicy or too much windy veg!

Mine have always eaten what we eat and I've never changed my diet when breastfeeding. But we tend to eat chilli, meatballs, spaghetti Bol, pizza, chicken kiev, lasagne, toad in the hole, fish fingers, meat pie, fajitas, korma.

One pot meals can be good too :-)

Thanks for the sling and telly advice. I can't seem to find time to batch cook much. Also I find if I go out in the day it all unravels, either dinner is a disaster, or the home is such a tip you would think I had been burgled. It's just minutes in the day when my hands are free.

I know what you mean - I chose to live in a bomb site

Batch cook and freeze is the way to go. Make a huge great pan of chilli/spaghetti Bol/meatballs/stew. Maybe do it at the weekends while your dp is about so he looks after the kids and you can concentrate on cooking.

Iliketo I know you are right but we like going out as a family on the weekend. Also I go to bed early in the eve to deal with the broken nights. So can't catch up then either. But the mince thing is a great idea. I will try!

Things like braising steak or neck of lamb ate great. You can skip the browning the meat if you don't have time.

Just stick meat, chopped up inion, some garlic cloves and some chunks of veg in a pot (stove top or oven depending on preferences and what you own).

Add liquid and herbs of choice and cook slowly for 2-3 hours.

I don't have a slow cooker but might be worth considering?

Suggestions:
Lamb, pearl barley, swede and stock
Lamb, split peas, spices, tinned tomatoes and you have a curry
Beef, carrots, caraway seeds and red wine
Beef, swede, beer (any ale from golden to stout)

If you stick more veg in you can serve as it is with bread if you're stuck, or just do some rice or spuds.

Yes to who ever said prep earlier in the day(during los morning sleep?) So just gas under spuds or cook pasta to have with sauce in the evening. What time does dp get in can he help you ?

Mjaune - that is genius and doable thanks!!

Either

My dh watches them while I cook dinner
Or baby in rocker awake or asleep with toddler in high chair sat in the kitchen whilst I cook
Or prep as much as possible earlier in the day so it's just a case of putting the pans/oven on
Or-and this is my favourite-take away delivered

It will get easier-I hope

Naughty mum the two yr old is cutting out her nap. My dh is coming home early for 5.15 at the mo. I need dinner on the table for then or it's toddler meltdown time, if she is not in bed soon as. Also newborn is cluster feeding from 5.30-6 until 8 or 9. I can hardly get away for a wee once he starts, he yells if not got boobs on hand. I managed a quick bath one night this week but dh had to blow dry my long thick hair whilst I bf or baby would go hysterical if passed to dh. I can't remember how long this stage lasts for!

Sorry for text speak I'm one hand typing on my phone whilst bf!

Despite my tail of woe, I'm loving every minute. I didn't know is get to have another baby and I am very grateful.

Just wanted to add that.

Well... Nearly every minute

I want to properly feed my family that's all!

agree with others, let your dh/dp do more.
keep it simple. I did a lot of oven bake stuff that I could prepare in advance, like pasta bake. so that come dinner time I only needed to shove it in the oven. Pizza also a big hit, older dc can top theirs on their own.
cebeebies is your friend to distract the older one for a short time and slings are a god send.

also, can you give toddler a rice cake/small snack in the afternoon? and then cook whilst dh looks after dc?

Whilst they're so young I'm sticking to easy meals for a few months.

So things like jacket potatoes, casseroles slow cooked in the oven, pasta bakes, tinned sweet corn, frozen peas and veg are my friend at the moment. (Usually fresh)

Just while they're young (newborn and toddler) just to make life easier for me

Nice dinners on the weekend when dh is home to look after the kids while I cook or vice versa.

Jacket potatoes with cheese and frozen peas or tinned sweetcorn
Beans on toast
Pizza and cherry tomatoes
Pasta and pesto with frozen peas

All are perfectly good meals

Sling and tv is good advice

Batch cook at weekends and lower expectations generally, e.g. Abut going out, housework.

Your house shou,ld look like a bomb site . Forget ironing or even putting clean washing away, just fold it into piles then reuse.

This too will pass!

Things will be different next week, never mind by 3-4 months. Hang in there.

Batch cook as everyone has suggested (this is what I did when I had a toddler and a baby). Freeze in small portion sizes. Give your toddler her meal at 5pm, then, if your dp is coming home at 5.15pm, he can do her bathtime, then you can eat once she is in bed. If she is dropping her nap she needs to be in bed by 6.30 anyway. I always sat at the table and had a cup of tea and a snack with Ds1 while he was having his spag bol or whatever, and usually breast fed ds2 at the same time, so at least we were all sitting together.

DH worked from 8am to 8pm when mine were small, so I had to feed them early and then put them to bed before he was home.

Ps per-made bolognase frozen in small tubs can be microwaved and served with rice, jacket potatoes or pasta, or even made into lasagne if you're having a really good day. All are different meals . Add lots of chopped carrots, peppers, celery etc when cooking it up ( preferably in slow cooker for minimal effort) then it is not only cheaper and bigger batch, but also has some veg already in it. Some toddlers don't even notice the chopped veg. I have a friend who blends it, so her toddler doesn't notice the extra veg.

I actually meant whilst the baby sleeps not the toddler. I remember peeling potatos at 930 because I knew I wouldn't get another chance. Just to be clear are you trying to get dinner for everyone cooked before dp gets in at 515 or just the toddler ?

Bolognaise is my life saver! Dh usually makes this on Sunday night & that covers 2 meals that week. We also use the slow cook & one freezer meal.

When newborn starts having regular afternoon naps you'll find things get easier.

The most amazing thing my friends did for me when dc3 was born was deliver meals to my house for around a week after Dh went back to work.

I don't have two yet but am pregnant with dc 2, and work full time. I have about 20 mins to make dinner every night. I do exactly the meals suggested by glitterbug. Or something like cheese on toast with olives and cherry tomatoes. I sit and have a Cup of tea abd a slice of toast and a chat with DS while he eats and in the future the baby can feed away too.

When DH gets home and DS is asleep we cook something nice Together for us, then DS has that for lunch the next day too, so I don't mind giving him snackier dinners as he has a very good lunch

3littlefrogs. I may try that. It's just this mad cluster feeding he basically holds me hostage from 5.30 - 6 until 8 or 9