How do you handle getting dinner ready?

juliajaj wrote: I'd love to find out your tips/suggestions for getting dinner on the table and at the same time entertaining a toddler.

I work from 7:15-4:30, and then pick up Olivia from daycare (usually getting home at around 5). She's pretty good at playing in the familyroom while I'm preparing dinner in the kitchen (the kitchen & familyroom open up to each other, so I can see her at all times). I get nervous when she starts exploring the different rooms when I'm not close by, so I usually stop what I'm doing & try to get her to come back into the familyroom. This usually works, but I have the same problem 10 minutes later. A couple of times I've had to put her in her highchair with some books & a small snack so I could get dinner ready. I feel guilty for doing this because I know she's rather be exploring or playing. DH typically works until 5, but there are nights that he works later. Sometimes he'll run an errand or 2 on his way home.

Yesterday I asked if he could start getting home by 5:30, so this would give me time to finish getting dinner ready so we could eat by 6. Or, if he knows he won't be home by 5:30, to please call me by 5 so I can hold off on preparing dinner. At 1st I think he felt like I was angry with him, which part of me was (he didn't get home until 6:10 last night, called me at 5:40). He said maybe I need to start preparing less involved meals. Honestly, I'm not preparing anything fancy, but even small things like making a salad, heating up bread, boiling noodles, heating sauce, chopping, setting the table etc. take time (I'd say an average of 1/2 hour from start to finish). I told him it's very important to me that we sit down to dinner as a family & not have sandwiches each night. All of us need a balanced diet, and both of us were brought up that you ate dinner together as a family. He's not discounting the importance of this, I just don't think he realizes everything involved in getting dinner on the table each night.

I try to plan my menu a week ahead of time so there aren't any last minute trips to the grocery store. We're going to buy a deepfreeze, so I can do more cooking/freezing in batches, so this will cut down on dinner prep time. Also, I have a crockpot, so I need to get back in the swing of using it. Friday's aren't a big issue because I usually work 1/2 day & I can get most of dinner prepared ahead of time while Olivia naps. The weekends aren't an issues since we usually go out to eat on Saturday or have leftovers & Sunday we usually have pizza. My challenge is mainly Monday - Thursday.

Sorry if I rambled. Hope to hear some great suggestions.

Julie

Boys r us replied: I work as well, so I don't have time to do any preparations for dinner earlier in the day. So what I do is when I get ready to cook dinner, I bring Braedon's highchair in the kitchen near me and we "cook together". While I'm cooking, I will get him to "hold" things and we'll sing songs together and just basically make it a joint effort to get through the dinner preparations!

kit_kats_mom replied: Katherine helps a lot.
She will put the veggies in a pan or on a rack, stir cold things etc. I usually give her a couple of lids, pans, measuring cups and spoons to play with if she's really in my way. I have had to resort to letting her play in the sink too. I just let her stand on a chair and play in the running water. She LOVES it! Water gets everywhere but hey, it's just water and her squeals of delight are totally worth it.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I just have to say that I am jealous!! Dinner around here is hard for me and a sore spot really.

DH doesn't get home until around 9 or 10 p.m. Before Ethan was born I would start dinner at 7 p.m. and eat with Maddie and leave DH a plate in the microwave for when he got home. I prepare big meals every night, too. We eat together as a family on Sundays. Now that Ethan is born it is so much harder to cook and watch he and Maddie at the same time. I manage, but don't like it. Ethan is fussy from 5 until midnight practically and I don't have the luxury of another person holding him while I cook. I would love to cook dinner at 5 and have all the dishes done, etc and eat together as a family every night. It just isn't going to happen. Sorry to rant, but I think you are doing a great job with the crayons and the high chair. I used to do this with Maddie when she got older. I don't think you are depriving her of anything in those 30 mins. Preparing dinner is so much harder than it needs to be. I have one hungry DH when he gets home. He doesn't eat lunch so he expects BIG meals.

Good Luck and ((((HUGS))))

paradisemommy replied: i usually just turn the tv on, give ds some pots n pans or bowls (we have all plastic ones ) and some chopsticks..my little drummer boy will just go to town..if that gets old - i got a bag of beans and put them in a tupperware bowl and then give him another bowl - he loves to takes a measuring cup or regular cup and scoop out the beans and put them into the other bowl.

booey2 replied: Hi, I too work and find dinner time can be hard. Thomas is the hardest to control at this time. If he doesn't have his daily nap then he is cranky and wants to be held. I have resorted to the tv to watch for the time it takes me to prepare supper.
DH is not much help here either. I have to prepare a fast meal for the boys and another for us or they would be waiting til 7 some nights to eat with us. If Thomas is really tired he will skip dinner have his bottle and out he goes for the night, he then gets up at 5:30-6am the next morning but at supper time it is well worth it for him to be sleeping. Matthew is now a dream, he will play by himself, but when he was little I would put him in his highchair and bring him in the kitchen, or the exersaucer and he loved that.

I used to fret about making two dinner but if I am already in the kitchen I can cook up a storm. I use my toaster oven a lot for the boys meals, mainly pizzas and chicken nuggets, Matthew could live on these alone.

Here is a great easy meal to cook:

1-4 frozen boneless chicken breasts (depending on how many are eating this)
Spag. sauce (any variety)

Pre-heat oven to 425, place chicken in an oven safe dish, cover chicken with sauce, cover dish with lid or foil

Place in oven and walk away. Cook chicken for 1 hour. Serve with rice, pototatoes, pasta or whatever side dish you like. Fast easy and you can spend time with your little ones while this cooks.

Sorry for rambling. HTH

kimberley replied: i either put in a movie for the boys or got them to help me prepare dinner. it kept them close to me and they enjoyed it. when it was just Jacob i often put him in his highchair with either a toy or a snack and he would sit for as long as it took to finish.

Julie (jem0622) replied: I have two words for all of you crazy ladies

CROCK POT

Saves my life. And my sanity. I walk in the door and dinner is ready for everyone. Some nights we have lazy meals (spaghetti o's or beef tips and noodles).

Another thing that you can do for yourself is spending some time chopping/slicing/cutting items over the weekend and store them so that they keep and you just bring it out when you need it to save time.

I am signed up to receive emails on cooking ahead (freezer storage) and they have great stuff. I'll have to find out the info an post it here.

I can't say enough about my crock pot!

Julie

coasterqueen replied:
Are you using a sling to help things out? That way you would have two hands free. I know it doesn't help keeping Maddie preoccupied, though. Does she have a play kitchen? If not maybe having a play kitchen in the kitchen might keep her busy. I know when we used to have Kylie's in the kitchen that was a big help. I would say, "Kylie, make mommy anda daddy some dinner" and she would, lol.

coasterqueen replied: I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you. DH and I both work. I don't cook, I hate cooking. DH does the cooking. He gets home about 45 mins before I do and he picks up Kylie. So she just runs rampant around the kitchen while he gets dinner ready and then when I get home I keep her preoccupied until he finishes the cooking. Then while I clean up he does the same with Kylie.

kimberley replied:
i find my sling impossible to cook around. i am always worried i am getting to close to the stove and her little octupus arms are grabbing at everything! i am too scared to cut anything because she might grab at the knife. for laundry or dishes or walking it is a big help tho.

coasterqueen replied:
I agree at Jade's age, I wouldn't sling and cook, unless she was nursing at the time and she "calmly" was nursing as I call it, lol.

But at Ethan's age it just might work for now

Kaitlin'smom replied: I work also and I never used to cook that much but since Kaitlin has been eating solids I also find it hard to get things done with her tring to get my attention. I also have a hard time figuring out what to fix everynight! I not a big cook, I do it when I have to which is always now. DH will sometimes help, I try and keep it very simple, and she will either run around, watch tv, or sit in her high chair. I need to be better about planning meals and getting a little more creative, but DH is kinda on the picky side and I see this comming out more and more with Kaitlin

coasterqueen replied:
Di,

I am a very very picky eater as I have major food phobias, so we keep meals very simple. I try to tell DH I would learn how to cook and help out and we could make a better meal for him and Kylie and I would eat something a bit more plain, but he just see's it as more trouble I feel so bad about it too. And DH is always commenting that he see's Kylie being more like me when it comes to what she'll eat I hate for this to happen. I hope she doesn't too

But to help you with deciding on what to eat....I just started doing this a month ago, because DH and I would argue forever on what to have, lol. I made copies of a calendar and we write what we are going to have for each day the entire month. It also helps with the grocery list So we just look on the calendar every night and that's what we eat. We sometimes stray from it, but it's been a lifesaver in our eyes.

Kaitlin'smom replied:
That sounds like a good idea, sure would help with what do you want for dinner.....and would make grocery shopping easier. I will have to try that. Thanks!


do you plan the entire meal that way or just the main part like what meat to have?

coasterqueen replied:
I plan the whole meal on there every day. It just makes it so much easier. Dh was so happy when I finally did this. Like I said, sometimes we stray from it but it helps keep us on track And grocery shopping is so much easier too.

If you decide to go with it, I hope it helps!

Maddie&EthansMom replied:

We do this! It saves money on groceries, too.

MommyToAshley replied: I cook a smaller meal for lunch and a big meal for dinner. (We do usually eat out once or twice a week) DH usually watches Ashley while I cook, it is their special time together every night. But, if he is working on something, then I let her run around the living room and dining room, which I can see from the kitchen and I gate everything else off while I am cooking. This way, she has some freedom, but I know she isn't going to get into anything or get hurt. I don't let her in the kitchen while I am cooking because I am paranoid and too afraid of an accident happening, no matter how careful I am.

We have a unique situation where both of us are usually here, so I may not have been of any help.

MilMunchMOM replied: Two words!! CROCK POT! I would get it ready the night before and just take it out of the fridge and plug it in and when i got home dinner was ready.

kimberley replied:
i forgot how little Ethan was. is there really such a thing as "calmly" nursing past a few months old?

coasterqueen replied:
UHHHHHHH, no!

I think it goes away pretty quickly, lol.