https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 28 Apr 2026 03:06:15 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights/page/2#post-512208 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 23:20:54 +0000 Freckles 512208@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As soon as LO takes a nap, i start prepping dinner right away. Actually, i usually start planning things from her first nap. For instance, i'll have a dinner menu of: brown rice, steamed veggies and marinated chicken. In the morning, i will soak the brown rice and put the pot directly in the fridge. Then make a quick marinade and put the chicken in the fridge. During the afternoon nap i'll cut up the veggies and have it all laid out in the steamer. An hour before dinner all i need to do is turn on the rice cooker, turn on the stove burner, and put the chicken in the oven. I guess it is all about finding meals that have relatively simple prep. </p> <p>I used to babywear when she was younger, but she is now so much better at entertaining herself! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights/page/2#post-512172 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 23:09:11 +0000 junebugmama 512172@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't read the whole thread so if someone already responded this way sorry...</p> <p>I cook dinner at lunch time, when DH is still home. Then he will take that with him for his own dinner at work and I will reheat it for the rest of us that night. Sometimes on Sundays I will make a lasagna or a freezer meal and use that on days that might be busy and I may not get a chance to cook.</p> <p>And I do baby wear while cooking most of the time. I use a hip carry so that I can turn my body to the side while at the stove. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights/page/2#post-512152 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 23:03:17 +0000 HLK208 512152@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: I hear ya. It's in their fresh produce area and says only EVOO, sea salt and pepper. But roasting veggies doesn't take much time either. I have premade veggies/meat after everyone is in bed to make it easier on myself the next day (that's usually when I hard boil eggs too). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-512128 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 22:55:04 +0000 Mrs. Pen 512128@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@HLK208: love TJs! we don't have a microwave... can you bake it? I could possibly do more ready-made food but would rather not cause you never know what they may have added! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-512120 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 22:52:49 +0000 HLK208 512120@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>TJ's has microwaveable asparagus and broccoli so some nights we do that with baked chicken. At 10 months, DS was still loving his exersaucer so I kept him in there when we made dinner. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-512013 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 22:08:12 +0000 Mrs. Pen 512013@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@stargal: too big for the bouncer! that's what I used to do :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511953 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:45:45 +0000 matador84 511953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS is only 5 months, so I know your stage is harder...but I do a ton of crock pot meals and stick to a STRICT schedule for him. Seriously. 5 pm. Boob in mouth. I don't care where I am. 7-730 he's going to sleep. I have to be able to take care of myself to take care of him because I am alone all the time. I do my grocery list on the weekend and only go to the store once. I write out M/T/W/R/F/S and B/L/D and what I'm eating for each meal to make sure I don't over look anything. It is CRAZY sometimes, but routine is key for me to make sure I don't forget stuff. If I forget breastmilk in the freezer and he has nothing to eat, I just can't call DH to go get it or bring some...and I can't be late to work. Routine and planning for me! :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511890 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:35:52 +0000 winniebee 511890@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I cook after he goes to bed at 7. He doesn't et a full dinner yet so I usually just feed him random stuff for dinner - he's 8 months. I think we will soon start giving him our leftovers from the night before for dinner. I get home with him at 6 from day are so there's just no way to cook a full meal, feed him, and get him to bed on time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511869 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:30:59 +0000 Mrs. Pen 511869@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsaudi: hahaha yup sounds about right! always trying to find something new for him to do. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511867 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:30:43 +0000 stargal 511867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh girl I hear ya!! P hates his high chair and I can't lay him down to play (where he wpuld be content)BC we have hardwood floors and he slams his head on the ground all the time. So I rotate between car seat and his bouncer and then usually end up walking around with him in between. Does. Cobi like the bouncer or walker or is he to old for that stuff now? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511857 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:29:25 +0000 Springtime 511857@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: I am in this situation! It IS hard. DH is gone 4 nights out of the week. My LO is so not the type to entertain himself and is constantly tugging pulling at me while I'm cooking too. I have to constantly change up what he is doing and introduce things he has never seen just to hold his attention for 5 minutes. </p> <p>I will put a few pots and pans on the ground and let him play with those. He also loves to stand in front of the fridge while its open, also he will sit in his high chair for a few minutes and eat puffs. I just constantly have to change it up for him, and cook FAST! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511829 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:24:04 +0000 Mrs. Pen 511829@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Cowgirl: possibly... and I have done that in the past. He's become a catnapper for his afternoon nap though. </p> <p>@mrbee: I know. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511816 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:21:00 +0000 mrbee 511816@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: dead serious. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511797 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:18:27 +0000 Mrs. Cowgirl 511797@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>leftovers! or we eat something super easy.<br /> is there anything you could make during nap time and just reheat later? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511796 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:18:25 +0000 Mrs. Pen 511796@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511789 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:16:33 +0000 mrbee 511789@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: tie him to the high chair with some rope. Throw some stuff on his high chair table to distract him! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511786 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:15:58 +0000 jennylynn 511786@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>it's still relatively easy for me since LO hasn't started crawling yet. I usually just plop her on her playmat on the floor, or put her in her highchair with some toys while I cook. I also still eat like crap unfortunately, so that makes it easier. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511608 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:44:49 +0000 Mrs. Pen 511608@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsMini: I think Cobi is dropping his second nap slowly: he's still tired, but only taking 20-30 minute naps. I used to do that too. It's hard to prioritize everything that needs to get done. </p> <p>@pastemoo: Cobi just does not like being worn on my back. He arches his back and cries !! I try and try and he just can't do it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511591 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:42:46 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 511591@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i don't have any LOs, but sometimes at night before I go to bed I throw everything in the crock pot and the put the whole thing in the fridge. When I get up I just turn it on! By dinner time it's all ready.</p> <p>Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511541 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:33:59 +0000 lovehoneybee 511541@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ladyfingers: I do this too, or when DH is home on the weekend I'll devote a few hours to prepping slow-cooker (or oven) meals that I can freeze and that either go right into the oven, slow cooker, or soup pot with no other prep needed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511531 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:32:37 +0000 lovehoneybee 511531@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH's grandmother gave me a cookbook called "Parents Need to Eat Too". There are a lot of slow cooker meals, but also a lot of "nap recipes" recipes that have been broken down into 20 minute mini-prep blocks to be done during naps. </p> <p>Doesn't work so well for me since DS will currently only nap in my arms, so a lot of the time I put him in the exersaucer, turn music on, dance around the kitchen, let him hit his plastic tray with a wooden spoon, sing to him, etc. It takes longer but I can usually keep him entertained and get dinner made. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511502 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:27:20 +0000 Boogs 511502@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: I agree with ladyfingers, I almost always double my recipes so I have leftovers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511493 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:25:39 +0000 MsMini 511493@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do 90% of my prep/cooking while he is down for his 2nd nap. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511487 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:24:20 +0000 pastemoo 511487@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wear him. It is the ONLY option for sanity for us. (DH is no longer on this shift but used to work noon to 10pm). I keep toys that I can hand him over my shoulder.</p> <p>I would make breakfast and lunch for us (while wearing DS) before he went to work and then pack him a couple sandwiches for dinner. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511478 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:23:16 +0000 Mrs. Pen 511478@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: we don't have any room/money for a new one :( we have the kind that mounts to the table so it wouldn't take up space. our dining room is pretty small and all space is used up by kitchen table and our desk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511465 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:20:49 +0000 PrincessBaby 511465@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a 6wk old, so it's different, but with my DH gone 3 weeks at a time and me being Paleo now, I just do meals I can set up and let them do their thing until they're done. Really simple stuff. Tonight I put broccoli in the steamer on the stove, and a filet in the oven on broil. So it takes very little effort to get dinner cooked...my policy until he gets home is meat/vegetable and I just bake and steam. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511464 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:20:44 +0000 chopsuey 511464@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I let LO play with pots, pans, and pantry items. :)<br /> It was easy looking after just 1. a lot more difficult taking care of 2. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511461 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:20:29 +0000 ladyfingers 511461@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: I'm talking about literally doubling what you would normally make -- not freezing leftovers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511457 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:19:24 +0000 Mrs. Pen 511457@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ladyfingers: hahahaha have you seen my husband eat lol!! there is no such thing as leftovers between DH and DS! ;) I know - I've tried that and done it before...<br /> And we do a crock pot meal about once a week - they are nice to get it all out of the way in the morning! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/to-moms-whose-husbands-are-awaywork-nights#post-511452 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:18:32 +0000 mrbee 511452@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would get a new high chair. </p>