Q: Things seem to fall apart at our house most nights when I’m trying to make dinner. My baby will want to nurse or be held, my toddler will want me to play with him, and in the meantime I’ll be trying to figure out how to get something more inspired than chicken nuggets on the dinner table. How does everyone else manage to make dinner without losing their mind?
A: Short answer: everyone doesn’t. Many parents find making dinner a major challenge when there are little ones wanting and needing attention. That’s why miracle products like salad in a bag were invented.
Here are some of the survival strategies that have worked for our family and some of the families I’ve interviewed over the years.
Nurse your baby right before you think you’re going to get busy in the kitchen, and then pop her in a baby carrier or sling so that she has a great view of what you’re doing -- something that may help to keep her entertained.
Set aside a particular area in the kitchen for your toddler -- perhaps a shelf or a cupboard. It could contain toys, toddler-friendly kitchen paraphernalia, or a mix of both. Add something new to the cupboard daily (e.g., swap a couple of plastic containers for the plastic strainer you won’t be needing for tonight’s dinner). With any luck, this distraction will buy you at least a couple of minutes of mealtime preparation time.
Swap kid-friendly recipes with family, friends, and coworkers. Be sure to be explicit about your criteria. In addition to spelling out any allergy issues that you have to work around, let people know your family's overall dietary preferences (vegan, vegetarian, meat-eating, etc.) and how much time you typically devote to meal preparation (so that they know whether heavy-prep time recipes are worth sending your way or not).
Turn to other sources of information for recipe ideas and inspiration. Try a mix of both cookbooks and recipe sites.
Try to get ahead of the game on weekends. Batch cook meals with a group of friends (or at least get some of the prep work out of the way) and you'll be that much closer to having dinner on the table amidst the mid-week chaos.
Start a supper club (where you get together and eat meals with a group of friends and their kids) or organize a meal swap (kind of like a cookie exchange but you're swapping something healthier). And look for other ways to put the fun back into family mealtimes. That will make dinner preparation and parenting a whole lot less stressful for you.
Q: Things seem to fall apart at our house most nights when I’m trying to make dinner. My baby will want to nurse or be held, my toddler will want me to play with him, and in the meantime I’ll be trying to figure out how to get something more inspired than chicken nuggets on the dinner table. How does everyone else manage to make dinner without losing their mind?