FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

Honestly, I had trouble with this even when I was home with DD for the first 11 weeks...It is so hard for me to manage to get dinner on the table for me and DH when I'm home in the afternoon with the baby! We get home around 4:30-5:00, and DH gets home around 7:45 most nights. After giving DD a bottle around 5:30-6:00, I should have time to prepare dinner, but she will not let me put her down lately! If I am just throwing something in the oven, I might manage to get it in, but anything on the stove I can't risk because if she's crying and needs to be held, I can't tend to it. Often, I defrost meat with the intent of cooking, but just can't get to it! We try to limit how much we order in, so that we don't spend too much money, but I am really struggling with dinners.

I know the answer is to cook a lot on the weekends, but we're usually out and about, and I don't get around to cooking dinner for even those nights!

Am I alone? I assume it will get a little easier once DD will sit and play on her own, but that's a while away!

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

Could you try a baby carrier? That may help you with multitasking with a needy baby :)

FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

I seriously barely cooked for quite a few months. I would make what I could on the weekends. Sometimes during the week we would have something super quick that didn't need to be tended to, like pasta with jarred (gasp!) sauce or hotdogs. I would sometimes also prep things after DD went to bed so the next day I could just throw it in the oven.

It definitely does get easier. I still prep as much as I can on the weekends the weeks DH isn't home until late. I tend to only cook normal meals during the week when he is home to help with the cooking or taking care of DD.

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

Having a carrier to put my needy twin on my back has changed my world!!! I still need to do lots of bulk cooking over the weekend, but now I can stand at the stove with her on my back.

When they were really little and both twins were colicky and had reflux, cooking was just not an option.

FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

DS 1 was that way - we didn't cook for awhile if just one of us were home with him. It was very difficult.

Now most nights, DH preps dinner before he gets the kids from daycare and cooks it once I get home.

FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

I also use the crockpot as much as possible.

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

I rarely cook during the week, luckily DH gets home early and prepares dinner. I do cook heavily during the weekend, and for the past couple of months DS does the same thing: he cries and screams if I dare to even walk across the room!

In order to get anything for dinner, I prep during his naps, or put him in his high chair and roll him into the kitchen.
He is content with either a toy or snack and loves to watch me work.

Message edited 10/2/2012 9:41:56 AM.

FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

I found it was easier when DS was little. Now that he is walking I have to pen him up or constantly watch him.

If your DD is crying it is ok to let her cry for a minute or two to stir something on the stove or take soemthing in or out of the oven. I would do that with DS.....he was fine for a mintue or two and I was able to get dinner ready. i also would bring the rock and play into the kitchen and put him in it while I prepared food.

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

I dont cook for my husband
He doesnt cook for me
We cook for the house when and if we can.

We both carried her, both cooked, both switched off, both even ate separately but together (because we had a TINY living room). It never bothered us. It was time to watch her, play with her, hold her, feed her, watch her sleep, etc.

Nowadays he does a lot of the cooking tho some dishes are 'mine' like meatloaf and enchiladas. Either way, the other one gets AJ while one cooks. Now that she's 4 we try to get her involved in the cooking too. Sometimes though, cooking is a break from her. So who ever cooks and cleans gets to do so without harassment of AJ. Our house is set up that the kitchen can see all of the dining room and living room so really we're always in ear/eye shot.

First year was 'fun' but hey it can't last forever. I hated the one time she said to me that she'd rather go to her room and play alone than with me. It was only once but I know that will be the norm and I'm enjoying her as much as I can right now.

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

Try the crockpot. Throw a bunch of stuff in it before work. Come home and dinner = ready.

Other ideas: Prep a lasagna on the weekends. Throw it in the oven on Monday night. Can get you dinner for 2 nights.

Make chicken cutlets over the weekend. Reheat them as chicken sandwiches 1 night during the week.

Definitely take out 1 night. Outback and Cheesecake Factory have curb side to go.

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

Get yourself a crockpot. I usually make tomato sauce, stews, and soups in it on the weekend this way I can come and go as I please. I stock my freezer and then will be set for a few weeks at a time. I also make meatloaf in mini loaf pans and freeze them. This way when it's time to make dinner all I have to do is heat something up which only takes a few minutes.

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

How old is you rDD? You can try an exersaucer in the kitchen if she's old enough, toys on her high chair or something like that. You can sing and talk to her as you work. Once DS was 4 months, these things worked GREAT.

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

You can also try putting her in the highchair and give her some toys. This was she's right next to you so she can watch you cook and she also has stuff to keep her occupied.

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

At that age I had DD in the rnp in the kitchen with a toy or two. As long as she was close by and I could talk/play with her she did alright. It's still tough though. You could also try her in the bumbo.

I try to pick super easy recipes and also have things on hand for when I don't have the time to cook (chicken fingers, frozen pizza, soup). Here's a link of "dump chicken" recipes that could be helpful. You just throw the chicken and other ingredients into a ziploc, freeze if necessary, and then toss in the oven when you're ready. I don't think any of them require much prep so you could throw them together on the weekend and it's not like you're stuck cooking whole meals.

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

Ds is 7 months today and the most I have cooked since he's been born is pasta. I have been living on lean cuisines and stuff my mom makes for me when I know I am going to be really late. The other day when I was tidying up in the kitchen, DS wouldn't stay in his seat so I brought him and the seat with me into the kitchen and as long as he could see me then he was fine and didn't need to be picked up.

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

I don't have the highchair set up yet because she's not eating solids, but maybe that would help. We do have a portable feeding chair that we have tried a few times at restaurants or family dinners, but she wasn't sitting up great in it yet, and only tolerated it for a few minutes.

I think it will get easier when she starts getting more interested in toys. Even with her bouncy seat in the kitchen, and me interacting with her, she just wants to be held!

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

My DS the same age as your DD & I also have the same problem. Some days are better than others. Unless he is napping there is no way that I can make a complete meal. He is too young to sit in a bumbo or high chair & only lasts 20 min in a bouncer IF and only IF he is in a great mood. I've tried the baby carrier but only have a front carry one & te baby gets in the way so that doesn't work for me.

I try to prep easy things like burgers or chicken cutlets on a friday night when kids are sleeping & then freeze them. I can throw the burgers on my indoor grill or place the chicken cutlets on a baking pan & bake in oven while holding DS. I also buy thin sliced chicken breasts so that I don't have to thin it out or cut anything up & just literally throw onto my indoor grill. That's 3 meals. Also hotdogs, once in a while or I'll buy a supermarket rotisserie chicken for $6.
On the weekends, you can use a crockpot (I never use the crockpot when I work because I am super paranoid but you definitely can if you feel ok about it)

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

At that young age, you can get delivery, pizza, or cook once she's out for the night and warm it up the next day. My favorite is to smile sweetly at the prepared food guy at the grocery store and get enough for $10 to last 2 days. Rotisserie chicken is great too. Fresh pasta takes 3 minutes to prepare.

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

My boys are 13 months and I STILL don't cook often. I average2/3 a week. and my DH is a food snob and doesn't eat left overs

At that age, I used the RNP, saucer and highchair. (as soon as they held their heads up, i had them in something! or i would throw them on an activity mat (one with lights and music)

Don't be too hard on yourself, this age is HARD. It gets so much better when they get to be a lil more independent.

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

When I was working and had both boys I hardly cooked. We did easy dinners during the week... Pasta, picked up rotisserie chickens, grill, take out, etc.
We are also lucky to be close to my parents b.c my mom would bring us food a lot or we'd eat dinner together.
Now I am a SAHM and still have trouble finding time to cook. Both boys go in at 7ish so I make a dinner then. Usually only once or twice a week then we do leftovers, take out, etc
Do what you can b.c your time with your LO and DH is valuable too. Try weekends or one night if you can or go to Cosco a lot

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

I'm struggling with this also..

Just this week I am getting a little better--- cooked an extra dinner on Sunday that I put in the fridge for tonight and made sure there was enough to have leftovers.

Anytime DH is home to stay with LO while I cook I always make extra to freeze.

I'm going to save this thread for more helpful hints.

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?

I'm a sahm and is till have trouble finding the time as silly as that sounds so I can imagine working and doing everything.

We try and make meals that will last through the week. We made meatballs this weekend and doubled the recipe. We make pork cutlets and made a few extra etc. if I have to cook we try and make them easy meals.
Dd is 21/2 now and all over and she wants my attention. So it's hard to leave her.


I do have a crockpot. It's in storage right now and I keep saying I need to get it. That so easy to prep the night before leave in fridge and take out and set up.

Re: FTWMs of infants - anyone else have trouble preparing dinner each night?