Meal Planning Question

Fianschneid · March 2013

First of all, let me say I am impressed weekly by all of the meal planners' organization. Secondly, I have to ask, when are you actually preparing these meals? Do you cook the night before or are your toddlers the picture of model behavior?

DD and I get home from daycare and work at 5:30/5:45 and play until about 6:00 when she eats. DH gets home at 6:15ish, so he's too late to help in the kitchen. Bath by 6:30. Bed by 7:00.

If/when I try to cook right before dinner time, DD freaks out on me. She has to be held or right by my side (making me feel terrible working mom guilt). I've brought a step stool over so she can "help" and be near me, but she wants to eat everything before it is cooks and freaks out more when I don't let her. Long story short, I generally end up cooking the night before, rather than giving her something fresh.

What are you doing that I'm missing?

stardust317 · March 2013

Ok, I am an *AWFUL* meal planner, but I need to get better. Usually, when DD gets home from daycare, she is STARVING. I put her in her high chair and turn it so she's right next to me in the kitchen. I give her a snack and then I start meal prep. A lot of times she wants whatever I'm prepping, so if it's appropriate, I'll give her a small piece. Usually she gets bored with that and will go play with her toys, but she's under foot a lot of times in the kitchen too.

pennysuedog · March 2013

My meals are not super elaborate, usually around 30 minutes to make or prep. Violet sits in her highchair in the kitchen and snacks while we prepare the food. I'm home during the afternoon so sometimes I make dinner during nap time too. I almost always have someone helping me though if Violet is awake.

Scramblersmom · March 2013

pennysuedog:
My meals are not super elaborate, usually around 30 minutes to make or prep. Violet sits in her highchair in the kitchen and snacks while we prepare the food. I'm home during the afternoon so sometimes I make dinner during nap time too. I almost always have someone helping me though if Violet is awake.

When DH was gone I started doing the same with DS since it came highly recommended by the ladies on here. I completely understand the working Mom guilt that comes out when a clingy toddler is hanging on you while you are trying to cook.

We approach meal planning differently than others on here. I make a list of meals that we can eat over 2 weeks and buy the ingredients for them. Of course fresh veggies have to be bought a few times during these 2 weeks. During the week we pick what meal we want to eat that night. If it is a meal that takes longer we give DS a fruit cup or other snack to eat while one of us prepares it. We always eat dinner together as a family but DS doesn't go to bed until 9.

blu-eyedwife · March 2013

I've done both. When it was lighter later, we used to go for a family run/walk after work, so I'd prep the meal after LBB went to bed so I could reheat it when we got back from our run/walk.

Now though, I just cook when I get home. DH helps as much as he can, sometimes that distracts LBB the whole time.

Sometimes LBB doesn't want to be distracted. Those times he "helps" me pour or dump ingredients, sprinkle spices, stir, toss, push buttons on the blender/food processor. If I'm doing something with knives, I set up his "table", a folding plant stand, with a bowl of frozen peas or edamame and he'll stand at the table and eat them, or dump them on the floor then pick them up.

cantalopes24 · March 2013

We generally eat after the kids go to bed so I prep while Lo and E eat and then actually cook around 7 or 730. Dinner with E is such a struggle that I have to cook something separate anyway and we spend the whole time arguing over whether or not 3 pieces of spaghetti and a green bean count as a meal or not so we are all in the kitchen having family time while the kids eat and then later MH and I eat together. It works out so much better for our family and I feel like I can cook real food. Lo eats the day befores left overs if there is any or she eats a combo of what I am prepping for our meal like chopped veggies and shredded cheese, and what E is eating.

Fianschneid · March 2013

cantalopes24:
We generally eat after the kids go to bed so I prep while Lo and E eat and then actually cook around 7 or 730. Dinner with E is such a struggle that I have to cook something separate anyway and we spend the whole time arguing over whether or not 3 pieces of spaghetti and a green bean count as a meal or not so we are all in the kitchen having family time while the kids eat and then later MH and I eat together. It works out so much better for our family and I feel like I can cook real food. Lo eats the day befores left overs if there is any or she eats a combo of what I am prepping for our meal like chopped veggies and shredded cheese, and what E is eating.

This is generally how it goes for us.

Blu - I'm going to try your idea of giving DD a little table with some snacks of her own. Her play kitchen is next to mine but giving her real and safe food is brilliant.

sharksfan · March 2013

I generally prep everything the night before, so when I get home around 5 30 or 6, I put R in. his high chair with some fruit while I put the food in the oven. I feed him dinner usually leftovers from the night before while the food cooks. When our food is ready, R is typically done and ready for dessert, so he eats some cookies while DH and I have dinner.

stace13 · March 2013

I could totally have written this post! Except 'freaks out' may be an understatement at our house.

For awhile we could distract her with healthy snacks. However, now she wants exactly what we are preparing. If she sees us get raw chicken out she screams until it is cooked and on her plate! And the horror that occurs if something has to cool down, unimaginable!

That said, we try to do as much prep the night before. Some nights we can also divide and conquer, one person plays with DD in her enclosed playroom while the other cooks.

What stool do you use and do you like it? I may try that!

ally510 · March 2013

My situation may be a little different as I am a teacher and work different hours than most. My students leave at 2:30 so I try to leave by 3:15. I go home and prep anything I can't do while watching P (cleaning raw meat, etc...). Then I go and pick her up from day care (usually around 4:15). We have a snack and play until about 5:15 or 5:30, then MH takes over with P and I finish putting dinner together. This works most nights, except the days that I teach fitness classes after school. Those days I fly home from school and get everything ready so that I can just leave MH directions to put it in the oven. I leave my house for the gym by 4:00 and MH picks up P and cooks dinner. I suppose if I worked until 5:00, I'd probably try to do all of the prep work the night before rather than going home before picking up P. Thank goodness that's not the case for us...I'm spent by the time P goes to bed and probably wouldn't want to prep meals for the following day. We'd all be going hungry!

Fianschneid · March 2013

stace13:
I could totally have written this post! Except 'freaks out' may be an understatement at our house. For awhile we could distract her with healthy snacks. However, now she wants exactly what we are preparing. If she sees us get raw chicken out she screams until it is cooked and on her plate! And the horror that occurs if something has to cool down, unimaginable! That said, we try to do as much prep the night before. Some nights we can also divide and conquer, one person plays with DD in her enclosed playroom while the other cooks. What stool do you use and do you like it? I may try that!

I'll admit to using the term "stool" loosely. It's usually a kitchen chair pulled up beside me.

ginamcp · March 2013

I make dinner as soon as we get home which is between 6:15 and 6:30. If I have thrown something in the crock pot I just put C in her high chair and give her a little snack, a string cheese or some Goldfish and then I will feed her and eat in the kitchen with her and my H just eats where ever. If I am actually making dinner I will again put her in her highchair but I will make a little meal just for her and then my H and I eat after she goes to bed at 8:00.

jwls84 · March 2013

I usually do all my prep when I get home from work. B sometimes cooperates with me by playing with his toys while I cook. We have an open concept so he plays and I can see everything he is doing. Other days he is not having any of it and must be by my side. Those days I usually give him a mixing bowl and wooden spoon and let him help me cook. Fridge magnets have been and huge help as well. Sometimes I have no choice but to give him a snack and hope that occupies him. Cooking is actually one of the most stressful times because I get home before DH so I cook and have dinner ready by the time he gets home and if B is a real monster that day it is hard.

Ms.Jade · March 2013

I work 2-3 days a week and always on TWTh. I get home at 4:00 pm, play with E and give her dinner at 5:30. While she's in the highchair I prepare her room for bed and start her bathwater and I start dinner. This is when I chop, or pre-heat, or whatever and I talk to her while she eats her dinner. She comes out of the highchair, into the bathroom and into the tub. Then I take her into her room and get her ready for bed. She goes to be at 7:00 pm so depending on the time and how tired she is we start the bedtime routine immediately once she's in pajamas, or we go back out to the living room for some low-key playtime. As soon as she's down around 7:15 I finish dinner. While it cooks I put all of her toys away (working on getting her to help with this) and pour myself a glass of wine. I also check email and stuff for work since I do my last two hours of the day at home because of E and my flex schedule. By then DH is home and dinner is ready.

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