I also find, especially with the younger bubs, that sticking them on the kitchen floor/in a bouncer nearby, where they can see you, is handy because 80% of the time they don't really *need* anything, just attention, and if mummy is bustling around the kitchen talking to them and singing, it's the next best thing to being picked up and cuddled
Just what I was going to say.
Both my kids are used to me singing, and I have plenty of floor space to put small people so that worked for us.