What Do The Kids Do While You're Preparing Meals?

[Rockgirl]

I never thought I'd have to ask, but I have a tough group now! They're great as long as I'm right there in the playroom with them. As soon as I set foot in the kitchen to prepare food, it all goes crazy. My kitchen is next door to the playroom, so I can hear them, and see most of the room.

I spend most of my time going back & forth to help settle arguments, get toddlers off the table or out of the markers, etc. In all my years of daycare, I've never had a group this difficult.

How do you all maintain some level of order while you make meals?

[Heidi]

When I had a group like that, I put them all at the table with puzzles. The toddlers would generally play with them for a few minutes, then throw them on the floor. Then, they just sat there and fussed, but their choice.

I'd sing some songs, too, if I could manage it while cooking too.

[Unregistered]

Urg! I feel your pain! I lost all my kids except 1 to kindergarten in August. So I had to start from scratch. It was so nice before!! With the new group they are all much younger so I put them at the table with an activity or coloring while I make food. Some days I will make food the night before and reheat it. It really does help.

[DaycareMom]

My DCKs are usually playing outside or in the playroom where I can see them.
Occasionally I have days like you are describing.
In that situation I will try to get them to do something individually - read books, do a puzzle, color, etc. On VERY RARE occasions I will put on the TV.
Good luck!

[Rockgirl]

Good suggestions--thanks! I'm thinking maybe I can move a few things around to have a table in my line of sight.

[crazydaycarelady]

With the group I have now I have them clean up. With hard groups though I have them sit at the table and do something that they don't get to do any other time. For example I have a huge bin of McDonalds toys that I only get out at that time and they have to sit at the table with them.

[permanentvacation]

For a while I had morning nap. It just happened that the majority of the kids I had for a while were exhausted by 9am and I got tired of trying to keep them awake until afternoon naptime. So I talked to the parents and everyone was fine with me letting them have morning nap.

So, during morning nap, I cooked lunch and dinner, made all of my business calls (and no one was out of the office on their lunch break!), prepared the daycare kids preschool activities for the day, etc. It was LOVELY!!

Typically, you can't have morning nap, so I have also cooked the meals a day ahead, cooked all the meals for the week on Saturday and froze them, I do not let the children watch tv much, but I do use some educational videos as part of my curriculum. So there was a time when they would watch a video while I made lunch, the majority of the time I've done daycare, I have them playing and I just go back and forth from the kitchen to the daycare room.

The best thing I ever invested in was an employee!!! I can't afford to pay her daily right now, but when I had an assistant working every day, she could work with the children while I made lunch. I LOVE having an assistant!!

[coolconfidentme]

My group now goes though phases. I pull out the mega blocks or books & let them in the dining room as I watch & cook.

[TwinKristi]

Either in the back yard (gated) or free play in the living room so I can see them.

[canadiancare]

Kitchen table with playdough or colouring sheets.

[WImom]

That's the only time of day the tv is on. They can sit and watch a show or read books in the reading area.

[Cat Herder]

I move the big kids from the group play area to a gated (child proofed) dining area. Infants and young toddlers stay in their individual play centers.

While at the tables the kids play with manipulatives, work on puzzles or color based on age and choice.

Most meal prep is done before arrival, so I generally only have 10 minutes or so to cover.

[Childminder]

Crayons and coloring books or PBS.

[Josiegirl]

My kitchen is right next to the playroom too, which is handy while preparing meals/snacks.
But I learned today building them a tent and assuming it'll keep 4 dcks busy while I make sandwiches for lunch is a totally wrong assumption.
Lately with less outdoor time in the mornings, I've put on a Wiggles tape to get them dancing while I make lunch. I figure 20 minutes of dancing with Australian men can't be bad, right?

[Lianne]

We clean up together before I get lunch dished up. If lunch needs more then 10mins prep, I do whatever is needed before we tidy up. Once the toys are tidied, the older toddlers (2+) that I can trust, read books in the playroom. The younger toddlers come and sit in their high chairs while I get lunch served.