how do you cook dinner with a toddler underfoot?

Meg41208

Whenever I try to cook dinner, Little Miss Independent decides to turn into Little Miss Clingy and will literally hang on to me.  I'm afraid she's going to get hurt or burned if I try to start dinner before DH gets home.  We can't wait until he gets home for me to start cooking.  

I can't distract her with TV or toys.  I can get about 10-15 minutes of prep if I give her a snack (which is usually necessary since she's hungry when we get home before 6, but if we eat as a family that happens closer to 7/7:30).  

How do you all do it?  

MrsMoher

If he isn't snacking or reading, then Eli "helps".  Now that he is three, we have shifted to mostly helping vs. snacking.  If I need to grab stuff out of the pantry, he "helps" me carry the lighter items.  If I need to mix something in a bowl (not on the stove), he "helps" by holding the bowl (I hold it too, but he doesn't care).  He will also turn on the microwave (hit the start button), he will get me spoons out of the spoon drawer if I need one (which is seperate from our knife drawer I should point out), and now that he can count he sets the table.  We bought thin plastic plates from walmart for summer cook-outs that he can carry three easily and will carry them to the table, tells us where we are sitting and will get forks and/or spoons for each person. 

For Eli being underfoot was because he wanted my attention and I obviously can't do that and cook, so I brought him into the activity I was doing and HE LOVES IT. 

We also have made it a point to not let him around the stove at ALL, even when I am not cooking.  If he gets too close to it, he has to do time out and he learned very quickly to stay away if he wants to help me.  I can honestly say in the last 6 months he has never made an attempt to touch the stove.  Additionally if I have to get something out of the stove, he has to hold the table... since the table is a safe distance away (i.e. I can get the pan out and on the stove and have a free hand quick enough to grab him if needed) that is a safe spot when we have to get something into or out of the oven.

ETA: I should say that your DC can't do all this yet, but you can start incorporating some helping in smaller ways.  Eli's been turning on the microwave and holding the bowl for me since he was little (maybe just shy of 2 or a little earlier).

jaxrp2003

I let my DS "help" also I pull a chair up to the counter and let him watch or I give him a spoon and a pot and let him pretend. Since I started letting him "help" he comes up to me when he knows that I am starting dinner and asked for the chair where he can watch. This has been a great help and I get things done without having to constantly make sure he is ok and occupied during dinner prep.

 

angelina477

I try to give her an activity in her highchair. Kitchen utensils are always a new entertaining thing or she just likes to watch what im doing and we turn on some music. 

adamsbabble

Honestly, I don't know I would do it if I didn't have two of them to entertain each other.  It was actually harder when it was just Ava because she always wanted me, and it was especially hard when she was about your DD's age (it does get easier as they get older and get better at indepent play though).  Giving snacks is the best I can come up with when all else fails.  Sorry I'm not much help, but you are not alone in this.

I just wrote (and deleted b/c I feel like I'm PWing, lol) a post about "doctor's orders" to sit down and prop my feet up.  Although it may seem like I am here a lot, I am really just on and off when I feel like I need a minute.  It's not like I get uninterrupted time to sit.  With two children who are still learning to entertain themselves and still need my supervision anyway (not to mention the things that just need to be done if they're going to eat, be clean, etc.) I don't see how it's possible.  1-5 minutes is the best I can do.  I even try to get her to sit with me with books/puzzles but it doesn't usually work for very long, and she's not really into TV.  You've got me!!!  All I can say is that everything takes twice as long with a toddler around, and while I know you need to cook dinner and I need to follow doctor's orders, we have to be realistic and just do our best.

adamsbabble

Oh, I forgot... I also moved their play kitchen near the real kitchen so that they can cook with me that way.  I really only let Ava help in the real kitchen because she's older and listens to my directions, but that wouldn't go over so well with Charlotte at this point... so the play kitchen next to the real kitchen works (sometimes).

Missbollinger

Henry still takes 2 naps so I start prepping during his nap and when he goes down for his second nap its time to start cooking.  I plan on buying a play kitchen to put next to the kitchen next year so he can 'cook' too.

cops_wife

Do you have fridge toys like the Fridge Farm or Fridge Phonics? Ellie will play with those a lot while I cook.

DH is usually home when I'm making dinner, but when he's not, I usually turn on a show for Ellie. You also could put her at the table with crayons and paper or playdough after she finishes her snack. Or will she look at books? When she was smaller, sometimes I pulled Ellie's high chair up to the counter (on the opposite side from the stove) and gave her measuring cups and spoons to 'cook' with while I cooked. You also might consider getting a Learning Tower.

MrsMandaK

Charlotte gets like this a lot.  If she's especially clingy, I try to distract her with Tupperware and playing the drums on pots or pans I'm not using.  If she really can't be distracted in any other way, maybe you could try doing more slow cooker or make-ahead meals so that there's minimal prep to get dinner to the table each evening?

allobosc

Tupperware and the fridge toys were saving grace during that age.  Now he can "help" more.  He could stack and sort tupperware all day.

I DVR his favorite show and play if for him then too only b/c that is usually the only TV he gets to watch at home.

bgsugrad

Now that DD is older, she "helps" or is perfectly content watching a movie........however when younger, tv, toys, tupperware, plastic utensils saved me if DH was not home!  DD has always been interested in tv/movies, so this helped A TON when cooking dinner.  I usually tried and get her to play with something up in her highchair.