entertaining my toddler while trying to cook

sasa7

Need some help or ideas, all welcomed
I pick up with my 2 year old and get home most evening at about 5pm. I feel that my day is only starting at this time as I have to get the dinner and housework done all while training to keep my son entertained. I refuse to use the TV as a babysitter during these busy hours so am looking for other means of entertaining him

pwurple

Colouring and lego si what we use.

Sometimes if she is sleepy she lies down on a beanbag and I will stick on some telly. But its rare enough.

Moonbeam

That was the time of day when I switched on the tv for the kids.
My 2 year old loves lego,play doh,jigsaws and colouring.

Gee_G

My little man hates to think he is missing out so is always around me when I'm cooking so I sit him in the middle of the floor with a plastic ladel and spoon and big plastic bowls and he bangs away, chases them around the floor, puts the balls from his ball pit in them and all sorts. And is quite happy

How Strange

We always turned the tv on too. I found/will find again when I go back to work next week that everything went pear shaped if I tried to cook dinner/do housework. My son wanted to spend time with me and if I sat down with him he was happy but if I tried to do other things it would inevitably lead to a tantrum.

Can you do the cooking etc when he has gone to bed? We used to batch cook at the weekends and have the Monday to Thursday dinners cooked and ready for reheating.

pwurple

Oh, I forgot, if whatever we are doing isn't lethal, then she stands on a chair, with her apron, and 'helps'. Stirring something into pasta. putting carrots into a bowl. Bringing peelings to the bin. That kind of thing. She gets fed up after a while, and then goes off to playroom and colours/lego/telly.

sasa7

I been reading up how TV should not be used to entertain children under 3 years as it is not an effective learner at this stage so the TV will be a No No. Yes Lego is a favorite alright. He will usually bring his toys out to the kitchen, likes to follow me so during the evening so the kitchen can feel cluttered. any quick fix toy storage solution for the kitchen/dining space? Is it just me or are other parents forever picking up and putting away toys. He doesn't have that many toys but it feels like a toy-store some evenings. Thanks

Moonbeam

Our play room is permanently covered in toys that seem to appear all over the house:( Those plastic drawers are great ours was about 25 euro in heatons and has 3 drawers.

pwurple

Play the Tidy Up Game after dinner.

Pick up all the blue things... pick up all the fluffy things... etc.

Suucee

I used to be able to keep LO entertained with lego or even saucepans but the minute she knows dinner is on she wants it NOW. so I have no choice but to stick on the TV and open the toy box and she plays with her toys while keeping an eye on the tv also.
When it comes to house work I give her a cloth and get her to "clean" then give her the dust pan and brush (the long handle one so perfect height for her) when I am hoovering . She loves putting clothes in and out of the washing machine and tumble drier also. But dinner is just a disaster. She's 18 months so doesn't understand it has to be made first its like I have been starving her all day.
I have resorted to making large amounts. I would make enough on a sun for 2 days. Then Tues would cook again for 2 days and Thursday same again. Sat and sun OH is around so its a lot easier to keep her entertained.

holding

Could you try and make double the dinner every second night so you are only actually cooking every second night, if you know what I mean? Or sometimes I cook and freeze dinners on Sunday for the week, that really helps with time during the week nights.

A sling or carrier can be really useful for getting stuff like hoovering done - they love to be up at your eye level being able to see everything you do.

How Strange

Batch cooking is the best thing ever! It totally takes the pressure off you when you get home from work.

sasa7

Yes I will try out the batch cooking. I like the idea of making a game out of tidying up the toys. I must look out for a piece of furniture that also acts as a toy storage bin. I would like the idea of something that both me and my husband could use and also benefit our son in some way even if that is just some toy storage. Dont know if there is any type of transformer furniture that could say be a coffee table and then a slide or play area by simply turning it up side down or something???

pwurple

For multi-purpose furniture, there are some nifty things people do with turning IKEA bookcases on their sides, things like that.
Some examples here:

http://www.pinterest.com/everythingetsy/ikea-hacks-diy-home/

Expedit bookcase seems to be a popular one to repurpose.

Bagheera

Something that might be worth investing in is a slow cooker. You can prep the ingredients the night before after your little one is in bed, put it on in the morning then by the time you're home in the evening your dinner is ready. I also as other posters said cook in batches. Anything to make life easy!

I like getting my two year old involved in cooking and baking. He stands on a chair next to me and watches, and I get him to stir or clear away peelings etc. We make scones and bread together when I have time and he enjoys it especially when he gets to eat 'his' cooking!

I am with the batch cookerson this one.

I am also with the people who try to include the child in as much of the cooking process as possible.

From the age she could stand and hold on to objects my daugther has been "helping" with the cooking. Even if that means nothing more than sacrificing a hand ful of mushrooms to her and allowing her chop them up using a relatively blunt knife.

With things like Banana bread you simply have to give them a bowl of bananas and a masher and let them spent 10 jolly minutes causing gooey destruction in the bowl.

That way you do not have to keep a child entertained seperately during the cooking process. It all becomes part of the cooking process.

How Strange

I'm rediscovering my slow cooker at the moment as it'll be essential when I'm back at work. We've had some very tasty dinners so far. If you buy a 6.5l one you'd have enough for 2 dinners.

wallycharlo

sasa7 wrote: »

I been reading up how TV should not be used to entertain children under 3 years as it is not an effective learner at this stage so the TV will be a No No....

Although this line of thinking does indeed seem to be quite prevalent today, I must say I do not agree with it myself. My own young daughter has learned heaps from watching appropriate material on TV, so it's not just enterainment, it's also highly educational. I find programs such as Team Umizoomi etc fantastic for language skills, numeracy, and for bringing up topics and ideas which you can explore further then offline.

galah

our 2 year old son doesn't do TV at all - as in, he simply would not sit and watch it, zero interest (generally a good thing, but when you really need some time to do something, it's not so great :rolleyes:)

So when I cook, I try to entertain him with letting him help - set the table, bring this to the bin, bring mummy the carrots, run over to the cupboard and get a bowl, that sort of thing...doesn't work if you're trying to cook an elaborate dinner, but I leave those for when he's in bed and I'm just cooking for hubbie and myself!

Same with cleaning - I let him ride on the hoover, or give him a dustpan and brush etc - at leats it keeps him busy ;-P

sasa7

Yep TV can benefit to a certain degree but been honest I supposed I just am trying to maximize our time together in the evening before its bed time for him. I will see have a look over the weekend to see what sort of hacks I can set up for him in order to involve him more into my evenings. How blue sky would it be to have a floating device for him to be looking over my shoulder as I cook:):)

ceadaoin.

sasa7 wrote: »

I been reading up how TV should not be used to entertain children under 3 years as it is not an effective learner at this stage so the TV will be a No No. Yes Lego is a favorite alright. He will usually bring his toys out to the kitchen, likes to follow me so during the evening so the kitchen can feel cluttered. any quick fix toy storage solution for the kitchen/dining space? Is it just me or are other parents forever picking up and putting away toys. He doesn't have that many toys but it feels like a toy-store some evenings. Thanks

I put the tv on when making dinner. My 23 month old is a great talker anyway but I have to say Peppa pig has taught her lots of new words and phrases.

I've given up picking up toys when my daughter is awake. It could be something lying on the floor untouched for hours but as soon as I'm spotted putting it away she wants it and it's straight back out! I just wait until she goes to sleep and then tidy up.

sleepytrees

my 12month old son, holds on to the stair gate (we have an open kitchen so put stair gate in, no door) and watches me cook. I talk away to him and sing! (poor child i'm a bad singer but he is my number 1 fan) and he loves it! keeps him busy!

sasa7

Well all is going good for us both these days. I have started to involve my son into the whole dinner preparation thing. I pulled up a chair for him to see what I do and he is really enjoying it and has really taken to carrots (likes to chew on a carrot strip). Some days he sits up on the wide window board over the kitchen counter and watches me. I must have a look out for some sort of safety chair?? that he can stand on beside me so that he can make use of the kitchen counter in front of him. I feel he really wants to get involved in some way.