7 Ways to Keep Kids Occupied While You Cook ...

By Alicia

Would you love to know some ways to keep kids occupied while you cook? Most moms are always searching for a solution to this problem. You need to get dinner on the table and your kids are tired, whiny and hungry. These are some great ways to keep kids occupied while you cook.

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1

Have a Special Basket of Toys

One of the ways to keep kids occupied while you cook is to have a special basket of toys just for that time of day. There are a couple tricks to making this work. First of all, it needs to be only brought out while mommy is cooking. Secondly, you will want to add new toys every now and then to keep it exciting. Chances are your kids will be fussing when it is time to put the basket away.

2

Allow Some Television

The time when you are cooking dinner may be a good time to allow your children to watch some TV. Of course you don’t want to allow your children to watch television for hours on end, but a half hour to hour while you are cooking is alright. This is usually the hardest hour of the day for most moms. A little TV can help it go from chaos to calmness. You can preview shows ahead of time to make sure you approve if you feel the need to do so.

3

Give Them a Prep Job

There are a lot of things kids can do to lend you a hand while you are cooking dinner. They can do a lot of the prep work. You can let them wash vegetables or get you a potholder when you need one. They can hand you things out of the fridge and other small helpful tasks. This makes them feel helpful and might even make them more likely to eat the food they helped prepare.

4

Have Them do Their Homework

It can work out well to have your children do their homework while you are cooking dinner. It gives them something to do and keeps them occupied. If they do their homework at the kitchen table then you are close enough to lend assistance. This also keeps you from having late night homework battles. It can be a win-win solution.

5

Talk to Them

You can use the time you are preparing dinner to just talk with your kids. It is a slot in your day when you can slide in some quality time. You can listen to them share about their day and ask questions about things you want to know. You can offer a bit of guidance on the subjects you need to while you chat. Kids usually love having your attention when they talk, so they behave very well.

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6

Let Them Set the Table

Have your kids set the table while you cook. This is a small little chore they can do while you are preparing dinner. It probably won’t keep them occupied for the entire time but it can help. Combine this tip with some of the others discussed here. Sometimes a combination of ideas is what it takes.

7

Enlist Help

If Dad is home, enlist his help. Have him take kid duty while you cook or let him cook while you look after the children. You can divide this up by whoever is most talented in the kitchen or just take turns. If Dad is at work, you may have the option of enlisting an older sibling to entertain the younger ones. Having help with small children can make a world of difference. Even twenty minutes of assistance can work.

Getting through the dinner hour is no easy task. Do you find this is a difficult time of day with your children? How do you keep them entertained while you prepare dinner?

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