I told my neighbors to wait hours before they call the fire department. I do not want to have to fight with insurance. 

everything breaks loose one I pick up the kids at 3:00. So dinner is just another $h¡+ show around my house.

Yikes, as a home-chef- I cringe at cooking on high. If cooking is a chore for you, you'll attempt to rush it. When it's a passion, it takes as long as it takes and the results are delicious - and your cookware lives to dazzle another day 😂 

 Never turn your back on a fire, Joan Cox .  "Fire" includes stovetops, grills, anything with a lit burner.

(I have burned more than a few pots and pans in my day... I speak from experience).

I have not cooked dinner in decades Joan Cox unless you count grilling but even then no heck has broken out... maybe a few fires but the Fire Department didn't need to come to my rescue.

I have not,  nor will I ever allow my business to run me.  It is all about managing expectations. Unless there literally is a fire, nothing is so urgent that I would need to drop what I am doing. It can wait. 

I used to multi-task while making dinner something I learned in the restaurant business PLUS my skills bank. Today, I can easily get distracted thus sabotaging myself. An adjustment was visiting with me as I mature & it simply says: What's the hurry? Have fun & enjoy the journey not destination

I am not a patient guy and cook very little. When I do it is seldom on high heat unless boiling water. 

I only use high when boiling water for pasta. Otherwise, it's all done at a lower temperature.

I thought this was going to be about interruptions at dinner time and for THAT I agree. Anthony is in search and rescue and right around dinnertime is when people call to say their loved ones didn't get back. So anytime his phone bings as we are sitting down to dinner, my first words are "Uh Oh" and usually he winds up skipping dinner and running out the door!

You sound like a great candidate for a kitchen fire extinguisher!

There's another setting on the stove other than high?  Especially for boiling water, that takes for ever!

I cook mainly on high unless I'm dealing with a sauce.  Then again, I like my steaks well done and my chicken at least 190 inside.

This sounds like a scene in a movie featuring a frazzled mother: “You fire up that stove, and suddenly, distractions come your way. Like your phone rings, and your dog decides it’s a great time to chase the cat. Then the doorbell rings, and your dog decides that’s the perfect moment to leave the cat alone and conduct an impromptu pirouette. Meanwhile, the water’s boiling over in the pot like it’s auditioning for a firefighter movie. And just as you're trying to rescue the pasta, your toddler bursts into the kitchen, demanding a snack, while your cat is now at your feet, getting in the way and seeking protection from the dog. It's like the universe has decided to test your multitasking skills!”

     When you are a single full time dad with four kids, cooking is keep it simple. Plan a head. Tuna casseroles, dishes prepared Sunday to warm up, present during the week around sporting events, dance, school activities. Simple meals easy peasy.

     Now slow cooked, the "kids" don't have home work and join in to slice, dice, sauté the "what's for dinner". When you like things rare, it helps too I think. Time for more cold plates Joan Cox . it's harvest owning a farm. Garden beef steak tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh corn, new potatoes all being served up today too.

No don't experience this at all.  But then a again, I love to cook and have fun with it.

nope, I don't let things get in the way of cooking since I had a toddler.  And always turn the stove off before I walk away.

I am very organized and know how to multi-task.  I simply shut everything down if there is any kind of crisis.

Joan Cox Maybe you should start using an Air fryer.  didn't the smoke alarms go off?

And here I thought my wife was the only one on the Earth who could burn water...lol

Actually she's a good cook but tends to cook at too high a temperature.

I do appreciate cooking devices with a timer, like our air fryer and microwave.

I've had a few mishaps in my lifetime. I only cook on high if I'm boiling water and it usually isn't all the way on high. 

Set a timer if you need to so you won't forget. It's easy these days to ask Alexa or Siri to set a timer for you. My husband uses Alexa timer for grilling all the time. It's so easy to get distracted. 

I have to admit if it's dinner time most people don't bother me and if they do their call can wait 30 minutes.

Joan Cox 

Almost every other night that I start cooking, I will turn to do something else. My husband will smell or hear something in the kitchen. He will say, "burn, baby burn" That's when I quickly return to check on the food. I will say "It is cooking just right".  My husband will make sure that I don't burn the house down, lol

There's a question here? Of course things blow up just when you are trying to cook.