How do you cook/bake while your baby/toddler/child is with you?

[tk1999]

I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew so to speak. I am making christmas hampers as gifts for some family but each time I start something DD needs me. I have tried whilst she is asleep and it seems that is the perfect time to wake up SCREAMING (she has a bit of nappy rash and when she wees it must hurt a lot).

DD is too young to involve in the baking/cooking process - so I have been doing most of it when there is someone (usually DP) here with me. He has now been telling everyone that it is taking me 4 days to bake cookies/make fudge etc etc - and yes it has but it is not like i have been continuous for those 4 days. I am lucky in that I have made things that I can stop - ie make the dough, freeze the dough then can pick it up later - or I have picked very quick recipes so that nothing spoils whilst I tend to DD.

So my question is - have I not figured out how to do this properly... how do other people seem to be able to bake with their baby/child/toddler around but for me it feels like she needs me just as I turn the oven dial - or DP decides she is hungry. I am feeling overwhelmed because I don't bake/cook often and now that I am it feels like such a HUGE task.

I have:
* put her in the sling
* waited till she is asleep - it seems this is always her shortest sleep
* had DP help me
* had her in the bouncer in the kitchen with me

Please share your ways of cooking whilst your baby/toddler/child is around.

[Rainbow_Mumma]

sorry i cant help im the same as you with DD2 as soon as i do anything whether it be baking, cooking or cleaning thats when she demands me! Can't wait to hear if the other ladies have any tips though and your hampers sound really yummy!

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

I was going to suggest the bouncer in the kitchen, maybe a play mat on the floor in there and some toys, she can still see you but is also pre-occupied.
Is she sitting up, if so do you have a high-chair you can maybe put in recline position a little and give her some things to make noise with?

Does she like a particular show or certain music?
I used to put DD on the floor and put music on and she would lay and play for ages.

Sorry prob no hope, it's harder as they get older... DD is walking now and can open the sliding door to the kitchen so we have to do patrols so she can't get near the oven, or wait until VERY late at night when she's asleep.

[Tinks]

I used to have a drawer in the kitchen they could play in but I think your DD is a little young for that.

[westy]

My children are a fair bit older then yours so this wont help you at all now but in the future it will ....i get the kids to help me out with whatever i might be doing and they love it, getting in and having a go makes them feel very good and most of all they love getting to lick the spoon at the end!!!

Goodlcuk hope your able to get the hampers done...btw great idea!

[Arimeh]

Can you do the majority of it when she is down for the night?

The other day I cooked a cake and prepared dinner - DS "helped" me, DD1 was napping and DD2 was in the sling - so don't give up hope that it can be done

[Glamourcide]

What Arimeh said, I usually do most of this kind of stuff after they go down for the night (but then, I'm blessed to have two perfect sleepers who hardly ever wake during the night so I'm almost guaranteed to have the whole night free once they go down).

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

I suppose she's probably a bit young for solids (sorry, my math is terrible and I'm not going to sit here when I've just got out of bed trying to work out how many months goes into 19 weeks hahaha), but would it hurt to give her some 'safe' food that you're working with (eg a little bit of cookie dough or something provided it has no nuts, etc?) to keep her amused while you bake? Otherwise, some kitchen implements/pots and pans for her to bang on and get familiar with should keep her occupied for a little while. HTH Sounds yum, let us know how you go with the baking!!

[Erin_25]

I always aim for when DS is in bed also. Anything I can do quickly gets done during an arvo nap or in the morning when I know he's happy to sit for a bit with some toast & playschool. But he's now 2.5.

Just this morning I've made the mixes for a few different truffles, they are now in the fridge & I will roll them tonight when he sleeps. Otherwise I must say I just don't do it, if it looks like it's not going to happen I look for plan B LOL.....sorry that really probably hasn't helped.

[Spring Angel]

With much difficulty

I just made Chocolate Balls and Apricot Balls with DS and the kitchen was a complete mess and it took about double the time but it was fun and he loved helping. Otherwise I just wait until he is asleep and I do it at night.

Spring xx

[Liviam]

When DD and DS were the age of your little one I sat them in the bouncer or on a mat with toys. When DD could stand holding onto something my plastic cupboard was the entertainment now she helps with all cooking/baking and loves it. Everything made in our house comes with a warning that DD helped as she has to taste test every ingredient and every step. She even has her own apron. She's so cute. Don't know what I'm going to do when DS wants to start helping too, LOL!!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Under 1 year old: DS sat on the worktop and watched me cook. He was given vegetables to eat. I also "TV chefed" it: I read the recipe and told DS what I was doing, counted the spoons of ingredients, dramatised smelling what I was cooking etc.

1-3 years: DS's play-table in the kitchen, he is given a "job" to do (eg I'm mixing something on the hob so DS gets rice pops and milk to mix together with a big spoon in a pan... and eat too). He can use his baby knives to try cutting a carrot. Sometimes sharp shape cutters, but with my help.

NOW (just under 3), I have just bought him some sharp knives that don't cut skin, only vegetables. I've tried it and doesn't cut my hands or wrists. So DS will be able to properly cut things up for me under some supervision, but not with me holding things too. DS can also stir cake mix and add ingredients from small bowls when we make sweet treats together.

[{sarah}]

Same as a lot of the other girls, I do it at night when they are in bed or I put J down for a sleep & as soon as I know she is actually sleeping I start, then I know I have a minimum of half an hour to get things organised & started at least.

I second the high chair as well, we have a Fisher Price one that reclines, so we had her reclining but up at my level so she could watch.

[Kitt3n]

I back carry in a sling

It's really not as difficult as it looks (getting them on your back that is)

Now that she is older I get her head up nice and high so she can see what's going on, let her taste along with me etc....

[~Kim~]

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.

[tk1999]

Thanks ladies - we ended up doing most of the cooking at night once DD had gone down for the night.

We got it all done... and were decorating cookies well into the night on Christmas Eve LOL