How do you manage inquisitive toddler while cooking?

[BertieBotts]

I am on my own with DS (22 months) and I don't have a playpen currently, because it took up too much room and I kept using it as a dumping ground and it was driving me mad, so I folded it up. All is fine except that I am terrified (probably to an irrational level, TBH) that DS is going to hurt himself on the cooker somehow while I am cooking. He plays by himself quite happily sometimes but other times - especially when he is tired or hungry (which just before dinnertime, he's usually a bit of both) he constantly wants me to play with him, pulling at my arm/clothing, doing that tired whingey crying on the floor, and suddenly getting interested when I open the fridge or freezer (or oven!) and taking all of the yoghurts out or similar.

I feel like he just constantly ends up eating things I can chuck in the oven/do on the hob quickly like fish fingers and veg, baked potato with beans, or even sandwiches or soup or something, because I am so worried he is going to pull something down or jump up at the cooker and knock it over (there's the irrational bit - it is freestanding and on the end of a row of counters rather than in a hole in the counters, but still). The cooker is also near the door so I'm terrified that if he is having a tantrum (as he has started to do "properly" now) that if he starts having one and I carry him through to the other room that he's going to kick or flail his arms or head or something and knock a pan and burn himself or me.

Sometimes I put him in his dining chair booster seat thing (which has straps) and put something on iplayer for him while I cook but I still don't feel like he gets to eat anything interesting much. Occasionally recently I've managed to make a stir fry or similar and he loved it, so I'd love to be able to make more adventurous meals - and I'm getting a bit fed up of eating the same thing all the time too.

So just wondered what everyone else does if you have a toddler and no partner/older children around to distract them while you are cooking? Not sure whether I should get the playpen out again. It drove me crazy but at least I didn't have the cooking problem...

Slow cooker

Aha! I have a slow cooker, haven't used it in ages, will have to dig my recipe book out again Thank you.

Do what Reality's SIL does and get your husband to come home on medical grounds. Or walk into town to buy a sandwich

playpen is the only answer, or cot with a load of toys. Cooking and a toddler do not mix. Never mind him hurting himself, how on earth can you concentrate on cooking when you have a baby to distract?

Things that worked for us:

1. giving DD "jobs" to do whilst I cooked eg putting dry pasta in a saucepan, and asking her to "cook" it for me while she sat nearby. Have a few "jobs" ready.

1. cooking something like fish pie/curry/lasagne while DD napped, and then reheating or finishing it off at the last minute.

1. cbeebies

First things first, your cooker really isn't going to fall over.
Put your pans on the hobs at the back with the handles pointing away from the front of the cooker so he can't grab them.

You say the play pen was too big, but what about a travel cot?

Alternatively, get him one of those tower things to stand in and get him a bit involved. If he can watch you, stir things etc he might be easier to manage.

I don't think anyone manages to cook anything interesting in the evening. Does he have a lunchtime nap? If so do the cooking then and re-heat for dinner.

baby gate across kitchen door???

Surely he will watch CBeebies for 30 minutes while you cook??

Also great if you can cook big pots of stuff on the weekends and freeze it for quick defrosting. I rarely manage that myself, but it's always sounded sensible...

cbeebies + microwave

Aren't we near neighbours? My DS2 is 15 months. Perhaps we'll end up standing at the schoolgates together.

What I usually do is put DS2 in his highchair with some kitchen implements or a snack while I cook. I usually end up talking to him or dancing to the radio to keep him amused. My other son is nearly 4 and I get him helping. He has been doing it from quite an early age but he has always been quite capable of standing on a chair and "helping."

If you have the room then the IKEA wooden kitchen is fab and my 2 tend to play with that while I cook. I tend to do things which can be started quite early and simmer for ages so that I can do them before 4pm when they both get stroppy!

BitOfFun - lol.

I think giving him "jobs" and helping him feel involved will probably work when he's a bit older. Sometimes he is content to nose around in the cupboards and rearrange things so that's a start anyway!

It was a travel cot I was using, sorry, although I think you might be able to get smaller ones? Not sure. It's the same size as a cot anyway.

I wasn't so much worried about the cooker falling over as him pushing it or rocking it and knocking a pan off, and because the side is open he could easily reach up to an open flame, so I tend to only use the hobs on the opposite side. I do turn the handles away from where he could reach them but it's the way he flails when I am trying to remove him and he is tantruming that worries me.

That pod thing looks good but expensive! And I can just hear him saying "Down! Down!" constantly when in it

Reheating things sounds like a good plan as well. I guess this is easier if you have a microwave? If I made something like a shepherd's pie would it be okay left in the oven to be switched on later in the day do you think? He does usually have a nap before lunch so I could do it then, or after lunch when he is rested and fed and usually happy to potter around on his own.

Although, I think the prize may well go to sweetkitty - I had totally forgotten that I have a travel stairgate upstairs which I used to put across the living room door before I got a proper stairgate for the bottom of the stairs! That would definitely go on the LR door if not the kitchen (think door frame is at a funny angle). I can't believe I didn't think of that, thank you!

Thanks everyone for your suggestions as well

Are we llareggub? Sorry, I am not very observant I am the tsarina for the local area too so I feel I should know these things! I will keep an eye out for you in future Sounds like our DSs will be in the same school year. Am curious now, am I likely to know you in RL? I am quite often at the children's centres.

If he is napping before lunch can you switch your big meal to lunchtime and cook whilst he sleeps. Then do soup or sandwiches for tea.

DD's nursery always do a cooked meal at 12 noon then soup/sandwiches/pasta at 4pm.

Yes, we live in the same town. I live very near to the childrens centre beginning with N. I don't get to use it really as I have an older child so fixed around nursery runs and work. But DS1 is starting at the pre-school there in September so I may well be around there sometimes.

Ah, I see - I've actually moved now, am in L/S so not too far. I went to N primary school though, for my last 2 terms of year 6 anyway. My mum lives quite near you on the new estate. Maybe we should meet up some time.

Sorry for thread hijack! I suppose I could do hot meal in the middle of the day, but I tend to eat with DS so I think I'd be starving by bedtime if I did that - and I have a tendency not to eat properly so I think I will stick with it in the evening - but might be able to make in advance as people have suggested

Yes, let's!

I live very near to the little park on that estate, so if you use that then perhaps that would be a good place? My boys both like the little fire engine there.

Could we meet up somewhere more central? I don't drive so it's a bit of a pain for me to get that side of W. I only tend to go if I'm seeing my mum really. I could come down to the little park but it's two buses and a walk including crossing quite a busy road.

Do you have CAT? I used to have it but it ran out. Or shall we move this discussion to the local board? I don't mind sharing my email address on there since less people will probably see it.

Sure, I'll head over to the local board.

I used to put DS in his high chair with a wooden spoon and something to bang it on - he loved it would bang away for ages!