RE: How do you handle getting dinner ready?
My daughter is 24 months, and she has lately started to really act up when I am cooking in dinner. She is a little jealous of the fact that I am otherwise occupied, and my husband is almost never home at that hour to provide other entertainment.
I don't have great solutions, but just some ideas of what used to work. Frankly, nothing is working right now! As others have said, I sometimes let her watch a video. I sometimes pour a little water into a toy dish she has and let her wash it or pour it. It always ends up on the floor or her, but if I use only a tiny bit of water, it's not a huge problem. Also, my daughter likes her high chair, and I have no problem putting her in it with crayons and papers for her to color. I also don't mind her wandering, although we live in a small, one floor apartment, so it's very easy to keep track of her even when she's not in sight.
If your child can't safely stand in a chair or stool by themselves, you can still let them watch the action by forming a sort of human gate around the chair or stool. Just raise one of your legs and rest it on the chair or stool to keep it from scooting backwards. If it's a chair with a back, position the back to the side, your leg at your child's back, your body on the other side, and the counter in front. Now your child can't fall, although you can't move much either.
Advice and commentary on living overseas
DD1 15, DD2 12, and DS 9