How do you cook or shower with a baby who crawls and pulls himself up?

Emma - posted on 04/17/2010

Showers, during the week I'm up and getting ready at least an hour before my son, for cooking/dishes, he's in his high chair with a snack/sippy cup unless I can be able to grab him real quick on the floor with the tupperware.

Nikki - posted on 04/16/2010

We got this for my son

http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?...

it's 6 baby gates that lock together we bought 2 more seperate gates to make it bigger, we also bought foam mats so it lines the bottom..... and out all his toys in.... it is my LIFESAVER he has lots of room to crawl climb and play and be independant i can even sit in there with him and play..... I can get everything done and he is happy... also it's supersafe and he can't hurt himself so when I need to do something I don't need to be scared of him getting into things, it's a nice break from chasing him around the house all day

Roeshell - posted on 04/16/2010

I have put a fence a cross my kitchen so my children can't get in as for shower I have a bath with my kids or a shower with my 10mth old and if I want a shower by myself my husband or my older children looks after her.

Jennifer - posted on 04/07/2010

Wow, who is the parent and who is the child? You are the mom, so put your "own mask on first". Seriously, I am reading this for the first time and I am stunned at how many moms are teaching their children how to put themselves last so that they will know how to treat themselves so poorly when they grow up. A shower is a fairly humane thing to do for oneself. No one ever died from crying. And a 5-10 minute shower, is the least a mom can do for herself to have herself feel human! Exersaucer or crib and lots of great suggestions here. Time to cook? Like the highchair idea. Myself, I am in love with my Slow Cooker and prepare multiple meals ahead of time. In the long run, that means more quality, sanity time with the kids...and I smell daisy fresh!

Jade - posted on 04/07/2010

normally i do it before he wakes up but if not i either sit him in his walker n get my 6 yr old to keep a eye on him or put him in his cot with a few toys n just leave the bathroom door open and for him finding stuff on the floor i just make sure i sweep every day n hover up afterwards that gets every thin up or just pop him in a walker or highchair it can be annoying but at these times we need eyes at the bk of our heads lol xx

Rachel - posted on 04/07/2010

I put my 9 month old in his jolly jumper while i shower i just have it hanging from the bathroom door so he can still talk to me. and at dinner time if my other half isnt home yet i put Phoenix in his high chair with a rusk and his sippy cup and he is good as gold. Hope that helps

Saralexis - posted on 04/06/2010

I take one during my daughters first nap, usually an hour after she wakes up in the morning

Gina - posted on 04/04/2010

I take my shower at nights when my hubby is home to watch her. If for some reason I need one during the day when he's not here she goes in her exersaucer or in her bouncy seat in the bathroom with me.

Elizabeth - posted on 04/04/2010

I sometimes take a shower with my daughter, in a pinch. It's not ideal for me, but I can wash my hair, and get important areas clean. I have also taken showers at night before bed, especially because by the end of the day I'm pretty gross between snot, slobber, baby food, etc.

Cooking, catelynn is generally underfoot with kitchen toys. I only pop her in the high chair if I am using the oven alot. I am so paranoid of as I am taking something out of the oven she will try to pull herself up on the hot surface! Most of the time, Daddy keeps Catelynn busy while I am finishing up dinner.

As far as your little one throwing a fit after being the pack and play for more than 10 minutes, my suggestion is to be consistent with it, and eventually he will adjust. Maybe "hide" some of his toys for a few days and bringing out an "old but I forgot I had this so it's new" toy for that 10-15 minutes you take a shower.

Melissa - posted on 04/04/2010

I always shower during nap time or after she goes to bed at 8pm. I just bring the monitor in there with me. My daughter also fusses when she is in the playpen and ever since she started crawling, she hates her bouncy seats. When I am in the kitchen, I put her in her high chair with some toys or on the floor with kitchen utensils/pots and she keeps occupied pretty well. I just make sure the dog bowls are off the floor and anything else she can get her little "paws" into. I also rotate her toys...that way every other week she think she has something new to play with.

Myranda - posted on 04/04/2010

i usually put my daughter in her walker when i need to take a shower or do something in the kitchen, and sometimes when i am in the kitchen i put her in her highchair with a snack.

Anwen - posted on 04/04/2010

Oh god my son is 9 months and exactly like that and i am always thinking the same thing how can i shower or cook as he's into everything!! xxx

Tamarra - posted on 04/03/2010

I put my son in his jumperoo && turn on Nick Jr, I prefer the jumperoo over the walker because it keeps him stationary :)

Jessica - posted on 04/02/2010

I suggest putting him in his highchair.

Erin - posted on 04/02/2010

In the morning, I get up before my 9 month old gets up. That's when I take my shower. If I get up early enough, sometimes I have time to dry my hair too. If not, after she has her bottle, I put her in her pack n' play and let her play and watch Handy Manny while I dry my hair. As for cooking, she likes to get into everything in the kitchen. My husband usually watches her while I cook. Or she plays with the plastic containers and pots and pans on the floor. I have to watch her though because she tries to eat the cat food! She gets too antsy and fussy if I put her in her highchair. It is a definite chore if she is in there with me.

Jaclyn - posted on 04/02/2010

Umm when i shower he showers w me w toys. When i cook he pesters someone else in the house (dad, or roomate or the dogs) he pretty much has full reign of the house.

Sophie - posted on 04/02/2010

I sit my girl in her exersaucer for my shower/bath and sing loud happy songs, then put on some CCR to entertain her while I get dressed, she dances along to the music and claps. She loves music and singing so it keeps her happy long enough to get those things done. For cooking I again make use of her exersaucer but bring my laptop in the kitchen and let her watch her favourite sesame street moments on youtube while I cook. C is for Cookie and Rubber Ducky are huge hits in my household. She gets plenty of floor time the rest of the day.

User - posted on 04/02/2010

I put him in his high chair and turn on music and give him a big spoon or give him a snack to munch on. I can wheel my high chair anywhere in the house so if I am in the hower I just put it in front of the door and play peek a boo with him.

Sheree - posted on 04/02/2010

Showering i do when my hubby gets home or before he goes to work, and i let my daughter roam around while im cooking or in the kitchen, if she follows me in i have no problem with it, as my kitchen is usually swept. If she't not exploring i put her in the high chair and fed her if its her meal time, or give her a snack.

Laura - posted on 04/02/2010

While I cook I put my baby in her high chair with some snacks and I talk and sing to her so that she knows that she has my attention. While I shower I usually wait until right before her morning nap and I put her in her infant seat with a bottle and I put on some type of movie with music and lots of colors like Nemo or Sid the Science Kid and it either puts her to sleep or she is entertained for a whole 1/2 hour.

Nicole - posted on 04/01/2010

My son is 9 months as well and when i have to take a shower i do it right after he eats, so he already in his high chair, then i turn him so he can watch tv, i usually put on nick jr, since all of the shows are educational, and give him some of those gerber snacks they make for crawlers and i'm good to go for about a 1/2 hour. Cooking is the same thing i put him in the high chair and he either stays in the front room and watches his shows or i put him in the kitchen with me and he "helps" me cook dinner, i tell him what i'm doing to keep him entertained or i'll make up silly songs about washing the dishes or cutting up the carrots. it works really well for me.

Miranda - posted on 04/01/2010

We put Sadie in her crib and roll her crib in front of the TV (her crib is in our bedroom) and then we put in baby einstein. Gets me a 20 minute shower everytime!

Tracey - posted on 04/01/2010

While you are in the kitchen, put him in his high chair. Give him some munchies and he should be good to go. Or, my son has just found the cupboard with all of the plastic containers in it. He could play with that for an hour! Try that.

As for the shower, put him in the pack and play for the 10 minutes that it takes you to get a shower or wait for a shower until he takes his morning nap.

Just some ideas!

Jennifer - posted on 03/31/2010

I usually put my daughter in her walker while I cook or give her some tupperware and wooden spoons to play with on the floor. But if the oven is on I like her to be in the walker, that way she can't use the oven door to pull herself up. I put her in her crib or pack n play with some toys or just wait until she naps to take a shower. She still sometimes protests the crib or pack n play, but only for a minute. Usually by the time she starts, I'm done doing what I needed to do.

Katy - posted on 03/31/2010

My son also likes to eat everything he can get his hands on. He will find food pieces all over the floor. I vacuum the kitchen floor once a day (right before I go in there to cook dinner) so he can just play on the floor. I will give him a sippy cup with juice as a treat and he drinks that while I cook. As for showering, I try to shower before he wakes up or I will shower during his morning nap.

Victoria - posted on 03/31/2010

For showering, I try to get that in before my son wakes for the day. If not, I either have used the exersaucer or pack n play & placed it so he can see me while I'm getting ready. As for cooking, I agree with Jessica in using highchair & snacks and I also have plastic bowls/storage containers, wooden spoons,etc that I bring out to keep him occupied. He loves these new "toys" while I cook.

Jessica - posted on 03/31/2010

So, when I take a shower, I'm still putting my son in an infant seat so I have a close eye on him. This has worked and works fine now, but I've never been able to shower for anything longer than 5 minutes because he starts getting fussy. I have a feeling it won't work much longer because he was trying to get out of the seat today. As far as cooking, I usually stick him in his high chair with a snack to keep him occupied while I do what I need to do in the kitchen.