At what age could you actually cook super?

I know we all have to cook supper and we all manage to do it, but seriously I can't cook a meal that takes more then 5minutes without running back and forth for screaming kids, helping kids, playing with kids, etc, etc. So, I guess I am wondering around what age will my kids actually play for 20-30min without needing my help?

I would love to start cooking longer more eleborate meals (ok, elaborate for me means 20mins of cooking!), but at this time I can't do anything that lasts more then 5minutes! ugh!

 

It was about 2 1/2 that my kids started playing for a longer period of time and keeping them selves entertained, I thought it would never come. That said the minute I step foot in the kitchen to cook, mine want to help. So I always cook with their help/watching me. At about 2 I started having htem help set the table. We have a great island that they are on one side of and I prep on the other side.

 

Never.


HA! Well, I have another little one-and as soon as I step near the stove, she's barking orders for me to pick her up. She's a beast after that afternoon nap! But-if I need to get dinner done-I'll put on a Baby Einstein video which will keep her-and their-attention for a little bit at least. If I know ahead of time what's for dinner, I will try to get it done while they are napping, or maybe eating lunch, or god forbid-playing nicely! But that's a quick dinner-like throwing a meatloaf together, or the filling for stuffed shells. If I don't know what's for dinner, I'm usually waving my white flag by 4:30pm.

Oh-and I agree-let them help in some way. My boys LOVE putting things on the table to help mommy. And they really enjoy cooking with me. I don't do it as often as I used to because of Annabella, but they sure do enjoy it! What if you had meals they 'made' themselves-pizzas, tacos, etc?

 

Mine are fine now. They go off and play. I have a rule that they can't be in the kitchen around the stove while I'm cooking, and I have to remind them but they do pretty well. Of course I still occasionally have to break something up, but it's gotten much better.

 

We let them watch tv while we cook, so it hasn't been too much of a problem. Sure, sometimes they're still in the way, but most days it's fine.

 

I would say around a couple months before age 2, the kids are usually pretty good about staying out of the way when DH (mostly) or me are cooking. There are times when we do have to stop to break something up, but it's not often and it usually takes a minute. They got a play kitchen when they turned 2 and now when we cook, they pretend to cook in their play kitchen (it's in our kitchen). We also try to have them help out when they can and want to. My DS will do his version of helping Daddy shell crabs, they will mix and stir for me.

 

I cooked lots of fast meals until my twins turned 2. At that time, I started meal planning and cooking more elaborate meals. I cook three times a week and have leftovers 3 times a week and that helps. So, we eat the same thing 2 days in a row, generally, with the second day being leftovers. The seventh day is usually take out. Otherwise, cooking becomes cumbersome and I want to stop.

 

Around here it wasn't until around age 2.5 that I felt comfortable cooking and they'd play on their own and not cry to be picked up.

 

Crockpot meals is the key!! But I would have to say probably around 2 or so they were doing okay enough that I could at least throw something together. By three, they were fine with me cooking. I also let mine watch a show while I cook. They don't watch much TV during the day, so I put on a movie in the afternoon for them to relax and for me to get dinner fixed.

 

For us it's still hit or miss.

Two nights ago I was making soup that required a fair amount of chopping. It's an easy and quick meal aside from that. I swear, the minute SO walked in, I had to leave and take 5 minutes to breath. They were cranky and wanted to play outside and just did not want to listen to me at all. We usually have the rule of not being in the kitchen while someone is cooking, but Tuesday, that just all went out the window to them.
But it is getting better. And those days aren't as frequent as they used to be.

Days when SO gets off earlier and we're both home while dinner is being cooked it is so much better. One can entertain the kids or take them outside, while someone does dinner.

 

By about 2.5 my girls were at the point where they were happy to play independently while I cook (or while DH and I do home improvement projects - whatever). Sometimes I do put on a recorded television program, but usually they are OK playing by themselves and coming in to check on me every once in a while.

Whenever possible I ask my kids to cook with me or sit on the counter while I cook so they can participate. Mostly they sprinkle shredded cheese, or arrange things on plates, but now that they're 3, I also have them roll dough for pizza, attempt to grate cheese, rip up soft items, crack eggs, etc. Whenever they help it extends the cooking time by 50%, but we all have fun.

 

If we want to do anything elaborate (more than sandwiches or brats on the grill ) we usually have to put on a video. This is the only thing that will distract them long enough to do prep-work in the kitchen. That being said, DH worked late the other day so I had to cook alone, and after a few minutes of them clinging to my legs whining "get UP!" I told them I needed to cook dinner so go play....and they did! :blink:

I'm hoping that was the start of something new. :lol:

 

add me to this list! if they're being especially difficult though & DH is home, he takes them downstairs with him to "play" Rock Band (he lets them bang on the drums or sing into the mic while he plays guitar :laughing.

sometimes pulling out stickers and colouring supplies will keep them sufficiently occupied.

i also use my crockpot a lot so there isn't much to do except plate the food. :good:

 

I ditto the television on to something that they only get to watch then (favorites here are Dora and Yo Gabba Gabba) and I will let them color at their little table while I am cooking, too. Every now and then I will have a little cling-on demanding "pick me up," but I just say no, Mama is cooking right now and since I never started it they don't expect that it will be allowed to happen (doesn't keep them from asking though ). I must admit, though, that I haven't gotten back into my pre-children cooking and dinner routine just yet, and don't think I will anytime soon. The kids still eat before us at about 6:15 (too early for me and dh), and it is usually either a crock pot meal or something that is just being warmed up that I prepared on Sunday. Sunday afternoons (during their nap) I make casseroles, macaroni salad, potato salad, chicken salad - that sort of thing, and just have things that I can put in the oven when I get home from work for them and then later us, or something that keeps for the week that I can dole out for them at their dinner time. We do a lot of too easy meals for them, too like sandwiches and mac and cheese when I want to make dh and I a good meal or when he is grilling. We have gotten into a bad routine of preparing their dinner and not eating ourselves until we put them to bed at 7:30 or so.

 

I also made a rule that they can't come in the kitchen when I'm cooking. It was a lifesaver! I would say they entertain themselves pretty well though. Sometimes I will break out some super fun toys that I normally keep hidden if they are acting up a lot. And we certainly have those days where we keep the pizza delivery people in business! GL

 

well, actually it got better for us and now it has gotten worse again because they want to help. They want to help me do EVERYTHING. My boys who are 16, 13 and 11 don't make it easy either. I hear EWW, YUK are you serious? Can't you cook something normal like hamburgers or pizza?!. Either it is comments or they are arguing and it is "MOM!! he called me (insert very rude word here)" CONTINUOUSLY! so cooking and being forced to stay in the kitchen has not been my favorite thing lately! As a matter of a fact, I have been on strike this entire week. I feed the girls and have salad and sandwich stuff here that I have made the boys fix themselves AND clean up themselves - I am hoping that next week they will appreciate a nice hot meal at least for 1 day LOL!

I never let the girls around the stove - the way our kitchen is set up they have plenty of room to still be in the kitchen but away from the stove. After reading this I think I may have a total kitchen ban for all those under 18 while I am cooking!!!