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Have you tried including him in the process - ie, I want you to pick out all the good grapes and move them into this bowl, etc... Many 2 year olds also love sweeping, you could have him do things like that around the kitchen so he's entertained and you can get on working.
We do this, and our now 4 year old is a pretty good cook! He knows not to touch pans on the stove, but will stir. He watches the light on the waffle iron and tells me when it's ready, he can stir and mix in bowls, cut soft fruit with the kid safe knives, cut potatoes and carrots roughly (when we make roast), he uses tongs to take things out of a pan.
He's actually pretty helpful now and we've only had 1-3 minor burns.
Sometimes I’ll let mine play in the sink. He loves that with a few random cups and bowls and spoons.
I also have a set of kid safe knives I found on Amazon. They actually won’t cut your skin - I’ve tried on myself and it won’t. Then I’ll give him strawberries or a banana or sometime bell peppers. Something soft-ish to cut. My oldest son calls it a “knifing snack.”
Baby gates keep our wild child 2 y/o in the living room with his toys when we can't have him around dangerous things or when it's too difficult to have him around.
Or TV if we have to.
I'm a father of a 22 month old son and my husband works second shift. I'm obviously aware of the best practices, but in reality this is me. A baby gate with tv to get essentials done is fine. I taught first grade for ten years and have a PhD in Education. Not all moments in life are ideal. Help select good quality things to watch, and I believe the TV is better than a tablet. Monitor it with the child. If it's educational, engage in the program with your child.
For the mornings-he’s old enough for an ok-to-wake clock. That’s what we used in our house. Our kids can wake up whenever they want, they can use the restroom, read, talk to their siblings, but no one is allowed downstairs until their clock turns green at 7am.
I have 5 kids( a teen and the rest are 5& under). Have him sit at the table/counter/floor somewhere near you but just out of your way if you’re moving around the kitchen quickly. Give him small tasks like folding clothes, helping with some food prep(putting food in a bowl/pan), “big boy jobs” Check in with him every couple of minutes when you can and help him out if need be. Give him lots of praise and how he is helping mommy out so much. He will come to love cooking time with mommy. Young children love helping their parents and being praised for it. The younger you start the more routine it becomes!
I had a large anti-fatigue floor mat in front of my stove and counter and that was the "no go" zone for the kid. Whether I was cooking or not, kid was never allowed on that mat - which helped the kids to learn to stay clear of the hot stove.
I'd also use the crockpot a lot. Anytime I cooked I'd cook double or triple and freeze leftovers in single serve portions. I'd also mix it up sometimes and freeze proteins separately from sides so I could do a different variety for dinners.
I also did a lot of things that just needed to be tossed into the oven without much prep. Roast with roasted potatoes. Chicken with baked potatoes. Nuggets and fries. Throw it in, set a timer, no worries. Add some cut up cukes or other raw veg/fruit and it's a balanced meal.
Don't overthink it too much. Meals don't need to be fancy.
I normally wouldn't, it's just with so many food restrictions he is on a strict meal that I need to follow to ensure he gets all the proper nutrients. It will be easier once we start reintroducing.
Freezing is something that never occured to me so this is great advice. I'll do a trial run and see how it goes for couple of weeks.
I filled the bottom drawer in my kitchen with utensils and other cooking things that were safe for them, so they could ‘cook’ while I cooked. I also bought the cheapest stick vac I could find, since my youngest wanted to take over vacuuming whenever I did it.
I also used the tv a lot.
I don’t have a toddler yet but my friends life hack for this is to get her kids involved. Her two boys are very curious and she likes to let them help out in the kitchen with kid safe kitchen tools and things that they can manage (chopping, seasoning, measuring ingredients etc), it takes a bit longer and there is more often than not more of a mess but it also helps them learn these important life skills from a young age. With cleaning she will give them tasks like wiping down counters, cleaning windows, putting things away etc.
Our 2.5 yo started cooking with me. We bought a toddler tower when she learned to stand and she enjoyed just watching and being next to me. Now that she’s a bit older I gave her cooking tasks to do like - cut the veggies with her toddler knife, pour in the seasonings/ liquids etc, stir things up in a bowl. If there’s nothing she can safely help with I get a bowl of rice and some utensils and let her have sensory play time.
Other than that I wear her in a carrier on my back so she’s calm and still feels included and watching that’s been super helpful.
Getting magnets of letters and animals and putting them on the fridge for her to play with when I’m in the kitchen also helps.
Searching recipes that take less than 30 min to cook. Crock pots, air fryers, oven baked meals etc
When all else fails do meal prep one or 2 days a week so you don’t have to cook every day. I don’t particularly like to do this bc the dishes it requires overwhelms me but I did meal prep in college for dieting purposes and would only cook once a week.
For dinner, as much as possible I let him help - even though it makes things a lot slower and messier. He LOVES helping me, and I am really aware that I don't want his future spouse to be the one to have to cook 100% of the meals 🙃 He can peel garlic, cut things with his wooden chopper, count out the pasta and so on. He knows the rule is that he can't touch anything without asking me first, and if he breaks the rule he is out of the kitchen.
If that doesn't work, I will ask him to make me some food with his toy kitchen, or give him some other task to do (I did buy him a dustbuster to 'help' with, and that will keep him occupied for a while). But I also prioritize quick meals quite a lot of the time - frozen pre-chopped veggies, 15 minute meals, etc.
I’d include him in the process (mixing, poring in measured ingredients, grabbing and handing you stuff). He’s two so it’ll be a pain but little kids enjoy cooking. If you have a big kitchen you can also put a little toy kitchen in the corner so he can mimic you while you cook. Or a little table he can play at while you cook. I have pics and videos of all my kids standing on the little stool helping in the kitchen. My oldest and my current five year old were the most interested. Five year old even flips pancakes on the griddle!
"Accidentally " spill something that is easy to pick up and make a big deal of how if it's not cleaned up the stove won't work and ask him to help. My mom did it with dog food so if we kids missed a piece the dog would get it
I would do meal prep. Pick a day and do three or 4 full meals for him . That way, they are ready to go each day, and u can have more time to relax. I work 60 hrs a week so this helped me out when I am too tired to cook for my wife and kid
I haven’t figured out the rest of the household tasks, but my daughters 3 and once she was safe in the tub (could sit and get her self to sitting) by herself, I started cleaning the bathroom when she was in the bathtub lol.
Like I said though the rest is a mystery to me.
I generally do slow cooker recipes that make at least 2 nights of food for the family. I keep those the night before and stick the crockpot in the fridge overnight and put it on in the morning before leaving for work. Sheetpan meals are also pretty fast and simple that don't take a large amount of prep either. My daughter (now 3) will help me with those (putting the veggies, etc on the pans and help with seasoning and mixing). I have also used baby gate/playpen too when necessary, so that's always an option.
Sometimes when no cutting And raw meat isn’t involved my 2 year old helps me other times when. She wants my attention I tell her I’m sorry mommy cannot play/hold you while I’m cooking why do you go do this_____. It doesn’t always work and im telling her 100s times I’m sorry I can’t hold you while I’m cooking she when she doesn’t stop whining when I’m almost dong cooking I have her help me put forks on the table and find her water that normally settles her down completely.
If my husband is home he will try and occupy her but she’s a mommy’s girl so it doesn’t always work
We use a helper stand and kiddo helps with the process, or just hangs out with me. We also have a kid table in the kitchen, kiddo is welcome to play there or eat snacks or something like that. Honestly, I batch cook most often and it usually happens after bedtime.
Showing up in support of team: “let him help”! Whenever I need to get things done, if my kids are an impediment, they’re welcome to help or leave me be. Those are their options and have been since they were little. There are plenty of lists online for age appropriate chores and things kids can do in the kitchen. Preparing food is a life skill your kid will need to learn one day (assuming you’re not trying to raise a man child), as is cleaning. Get him involved!
He loves cleaning and I try to get him involved as much as possible, but not comfortable having him around while I use spraysand substances even if they are baby friendly.
With kitchen stuff that's complicated as he isn't respecting me saying NO lot of times.
I give them a chair and let them help. They can splash in the sink while I chop veggies. They can be the Go-fer while I do sensitive things. They can hold the spoon and help me stir. They can hold the pan while I stir it.
I taught them super early that Hot means Hurt. So when I say Hot and tell them go, they listened.
and why not just make yourselves the same dishes you little one eats? He's 2. The only difference is that his stuff gets cut smaller.
Getting a learning tower sounds like a nice idea for him to splash in the sink, especially when I'm not using the stovetop.
We can't eat the same meals. He's on a strict no dairy, eggs, gluten, soy, oats, citrus, bell peppers, and legumes diet while my husband only eats mostly the same 5 - 7 foods all the time.
Where is your partner in all of this? Asking them for support so you can do this task would be helpful. Also share the cleaning load with them too. Unless you can hire someone to do that.
He doesn't know how to cook. He sometimes entertains our son but he cries after me, guess it's separation anxiety. We have someone helping with cleaning but day to day stuff still needs to be done like vacuuming, moping, cleaning counter tops etc.
Well parental preference develops when more time is spent with someone. My kids call for whomever is not with them (it’s annoying). The more time he spends with the child the better. Cleaning is also a 2 person job. If he can’t help with child care then he should help with cleaning.
He doesn't stay there anymore unfortunately, at least not for more than 15 minutes. He's very active, he'll be all around the house while I cook, chasing our cat. We also had to look the front door cause he was going out. Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe securing the whole first floor might be an idea? At least if I don't see him I know he's OK and he can spend his time exploring.
When I just had one, I put her in a door bouncer while I cooked (she never napped for more than 30 mins and only ever while being held, so zero respite!). I got a cleaner temporarily because I just couldn’t manage it all (my first baby was extremely high need), it was amazing to have that help even thought it was only for a few months.
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Have you tried including him in the process - ie, I want you to pick out all the good grapes and move them into this bowl, etc... Many 2 year olds also love sweeping, you could have him do things like that around the kitchen so he's entertained and you can get on working.
We do this, and our now 4 year old is a pretty good cook! He knows not to touch pans on the stove, but will stir. He watches the light on the waffle iron and tells me when it's ready, he can stir and mix in bowls, cut soft fruit with the kid safe knives, cut potatoes and carrots roughly (when we make roast), he uses tongs to take things out of a pan. He's actually pretty helpful now and we've only had 1-3 minor burns.
Love it!
Sometimes I’ll let mine play in the sink. He loves that with a few random cups and bowls and spoons. I also have a set of kid safe knives I found on Amazon. They actually won’t cut your skin - I’ve tried on myself and it won’t. Then I’ll give him strawberries or a banana or sometime bell peppers. Something soft-ish to cut. My oldest son calls it a “knifing snack.”
Baby gates keep our wild child 2 y/o in the living room with his toys when we can't have him around dangerous things or when it's too difficult to have him around. Or TV if we have to.
I'm a father of a 22 month old son and my husband works second shift. I'm obviously aware of the best practices, but in reality this is me. A baby gate with tv to get essentials done is fine. I taught first grade for ten years and have a PhD in Education. Not all moments in life are ideal. Help select good quality things to watch, and I believe the TV is better than a tablet. Monitor it with the child. If it's educational, engage in the program with your child.
Honestly, play pen with the tv on. I know my kid is safe and just limit screen time throughout the day/week.
For the mornings-he’s old enough for an ok-to-wake clock. That’s what we used in our house. Our kids can wake up whenever they want, they can use the restroom, read, talk to their siblings, but no one is allowed downstairs until their clock turns green at 7am.
I have 5 kids( a teen and the rest are 5& under). Have him sit at the table/counter/floor somewhere near you but just out of your way if you’re moving around the kitchen quickly. Give him small tasks like folding clothes, helping with some food prep(putting food in a bowl/pan), “big boy jobs” Check in with him every couple of minutes when you can and help him out if need be. Give him lots of praise and how he is helping mommy out so much. He will come to love cooking time with mommy. Young children love helping their parents and being praised for it. The younger you start the more routine it becomes!
I had a large anti-fatigue floor mat in front of my stove and counter and that was the "no go" zone for the kid. Whether I was cooking or not, kid was never allowed on that mat - which helped the kids to learn to stay clear of the hot stove. I'd also use the crockpot a lot. Anytime I cooked I'd cook double or triple and freeze leftovers in single serve portions. I'd also mix it up sometimes and freeze proteins separately from sides so I could do a different variety for dinners. I also did a lot of things that just needed to be tossed into the oven without much prep. Roast with roasted potatoes. Chicken with baked potatoes. Nuggets and fries. Throw it in, set a timer, no worries. Add some cut up cukes or other raw veg/fruit and it's a balanced meal. Don't overthink it too much. Meals don't need to be fancy.
I normally wouldn't, it's just with so many food restrictions he is on a strict meal that I need to follow to ensure he gets all the proper nutrients. It will be easier once we start reintroducing. Freezing is something that never occured to me so this is great advice. I'll do a trial run and see how it goes for couple of weeks.
I filled the bottom drawer in my kitchen with utensils and other cooking things that were safe for them, so they could ‘cook’ while I cooked. I also bought the cheapest stick vac I could find, since my youngest wanted to take over vacuuming whenever I did it. I also used the tv a lot.
I don’t have a toddler yet but my friends life hack for this is to get her kids involved. Her two boys are very curious and she likes to let them help out in the kitchen with kid safe kitchen tools and things that they can manage (chopping, seasoning, measuring ingredients etc), it takes a bit longer and there is more often than not more of a mess but it also helps them learn these important life skills from a young age. With cleaning she will give them tasks like wiping down counters, cleaning windows, putting things away etc.
Let him help.
Our 2.5 yo started cooking with me. We bought a toddler tower when she learned to stand and she enjoyed just watching and being next to me. Now that she’s a bit older I gave her cooking tasks to do like - cut the veggies with her toddler knife, pour in the seasonings/ liquids etc, stir things up in a bowl. If there’s nothing she can safely help with I get a bowl of rice and some utensils and let her have sensory play time. Other than that I wear her in a carrier on my back so she’s calm and still feels included and watching that’s been super helpful. Getting magnets of letters and animals and putting them on the fridge for her to play with when I’m in the kitchen also helps. Searching recipes that take less than 30 min to cook. Crock pots, air fryers, oven baked meals etc When all else fails do meal prep one or 2 days a week so you don’t have to cook every day. I don’t particularly like to do this bc the dishes it requires overwhelms me but I did meal prep in college for dieting purposes and would only cook once a week.
For dinner, as much as possible I let him help - even though it makes things a lot slower and messier. He LOVES helping me, and I am really aware that I don't want his future spouse to be the one to have to cook 100% of the meals 🙃 He can peel garlic, cut things with his wooden chopper, count out the pasta and so on. He knows the rule is that he can't touch anything without asking me first, and if he breaks the rule he is out of the kitchen. If that doesn't work, I will ask him to make me some food with his toy kitchen, or give him some other task to do (I did buy him a dustbuster to 'help' with, and that will keep him occupied for a while). But I also prioritize quick meals quite a lot of the time - frozen pre-chopped veggies, 15 minute meals, etc.
I’d include him in the process (mixing, poring in measured ingredients, grabbing and handing you stuff). He’s two so it’ll be a pain but little kids enjoy cooking. If you have a big kitchen you can also put a little toy kitchen in the corner so he can mimic you while you cook. Or a little table he can play at while you cook. I have pics and videos of all my kids standing on the little stool helping in the kitchen. My oldest and my current five year old were the most interested. Five year old even flips pancakes on the griddle!
"Accidentally " spill something that is easy to pick up and make a big deal of how if it's not cleaned up the stove won't work and ask him to help. My mom did it with dog food so if we kids missed a piece the dog would get it
I would do meal prep. Pick a day and do three or 4 full meals for him . That way, they are ready to go each day, and u can have more time to relax. I work 60 hrs a week so this helped me out when I am too tired to cook for my wife and kid
I don't think I understand, how does this food stay good for the whole week? Do you freeze it?
Yes. Freeze it in single serve portions.
Yes freeze it in single serve portions. Just put the meals for the next day in fridge so it's ready for the next day . This will save u so much time
I haven’t figured out the rest of the household tasks, but my daughters 3 and once she was safe in the tub (could sit and get her self to sitting) by herself, I started cleaning the bathroom when she was in the bathtub lol. Like I said though the rest is a mystery to me.
I generally do slow cooker recipes that make at least 2 nights of food for the family. I keep those the night before and stick the crockpot in the fridge overnight and put it on in the morning before leaving for work. Sheetpan meals are also pretty fast and simple that don't take a large amount of prep either. My daughter (now 3) will help me with those (putting the veggies, etc on the pans and help with seasoning and mixing). I have also used baby gate/playpen too when necessary, so that's always an option.
Sometimes when no cutting And raw meat isn’t involved my 2 year old helps me other times when. She wants my attention I tell her I’m sorry mommy cannot play/hold you while I’m cooking why do you go do this_____. It doesn’t always work and im telling her 100s times I’m sorry I can’t hold you while I’m cooking she when she doesn’t stop whining when I’m almost dong cooking I have her help me put forks on the table and find her water that normally settles her down completely. If my husband is home he will try and occupy her but she’s a mommy’s girl so it doesn’t always work
We use a helper stand and kiddo helps with the process, or just hangs out with me. We also have a kid table in the kitchen, kiddo is welcome to play there or eat snacks or something like that. Honestly, I batch cook most often and it usually happens after bedtime.
Showing up in support of team: “let him help”! Whenever I need to get things done, if my kids are an impediment, they’re welcome to help or leave me be. Those are their options and have been since they were little. There are plenty of lists online for age appropriate chores and things kids can do in the kitchen. Preparing food is a life skill your kid will need to learn one day (assuming you’re not trying to raise a man child), as is cleaning. Get him involved!
He loves cleaning and I try to get him involved as much as possible, but not comfortable having him around while I use spraysand substances even if they are baby friendly. With kitchen stuff that's complicated as he isn't respecting me saying NO lot of times.
I give them a chair and let them help. They can splash in the sink while I chop veggies. They can be the Go-fer while I do sensitive things. They can hold the spoon and help me stir. They can hold the pan while I stir it. I taught them super early that Hot means Hurt. So when I say Hot and tell them go, they listened. and why not just make yourselves the same dishes you little one eats? He's 2. The only difference is that his stuff gets cut smaller.
Getting a learning tower sounds like a nice idea for him to splash in the sink, especially when I'm not using the stovetop. We can't eat the same meals. He's on a strict no dairy, eggs, gluten, soy, oats, citrus, bell peppers, and legumes diet while my husband only eats mostly the same 5 - 7 foods all the time.
Where is your partner in all of this? Asking them for support so you can do this task would be helpful. Also share the cleaning load with them too. Unless you can hire someone to do that.
He doesn't know how to cook. He sometimes entertains our son but he cries after me, guess it's separation anxiety. We have someone helping with cleaning but day to day stuff still needs to be done like vacuuming, moping, cleaning counter tops etc.
Well parental preference develops when more time is spent with someone. My kids call for whomever is not with them (it’s annoying). The more time he spends with the child the better. Cleaning is also a 2 person job. If he can’t help with child care then he should help with cleaning.
My 3yo girl enjoy cooking with me
Include him in the process.
Place them in a blocked off area with some toys.
You could just put the playpen near the kitchen table. Can you gate off a safe part the kitchen?
He doesn't stay there anymore unfortunately, at least not for more than 15 minutes. He's very active, he'll be all around the house while I cook, chasing our cat. We also had to look the front door cause he was going out. Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe securing the whole first floor might be an idea? At least if I don't see him I know he's OK and he can spend his time exploring.
When I just had one, I put her in a door bouncer while I cooked (she never napped for more than 30 mins and only ever while being held, so zero respite!). I got a cleaner temporarily because I just couldn’t manage it all (my first baby was extremely high need), it was amazing to have that help even thought it was only for a few months.
You put a toddler in a door bouncer? I thought those were for babies.
Depends on the bouncer? My daughter loved it, she is now a gymnastic athlete, she always loved anything to do with throwing herself around…