Daddy’s Making Dinner Poem

This poem is about a kid’s description of a perfect evening, where he visualises his father making dinner for him. This is a funny representation of a household where a family sits together and one member is cooking dinner for everyone. Children will love to read it as it shows what the poet is expecting to have in his dinner and they can also relate to this poem as some funny instances also take place surrounding the scene. Let’s dive into this poem and read it.

Daddy’s Making Dinner Poem Lyrics

Daddy’s making dinner

I’ve seen it all before

French fries black and burning

And meatloaf on the floor

Daddy’s making dinner

The sugar bowl just broke

Fido ate the gravy

The house has filled with smoke

Daddy’s making dinner

But I’m not one to moan

Soon he will surrender

And go pick up the phone

Daddy made the dinner

Today’s my lucky day

Dinner’s in the trash can

And pizza’s on the way!

–Jeff Mondak

Daddy Making Dinner 

The Theme of Daddy's Making Dinner Poem 

Themes are things that a writer wants the readers to take away from a story, such as morals or lessons. Poetry is not any different than this. Poets frequently attempt to convey ideas to audiences through their poetry. In this poem, the poet wishes that the readers understand the scenario of a kid seeing his dad making dinners for him frequently but all these dinner-making sessions have the same ending with them ordering pizza in the end as his father never successfully gets the dinner made despite all the different things he has planned while making dinner for the family.

About the Poet

American poet and singer Jeff Mondak (born March 26, 1962) is the author of more than 200 children's poetry and numerous songs for both kids and adults. The Toy Box Ate My Brother, Jeff's debut collection of original poetry, was published in February 2016 and featured illustrations by Mew Tachibana. Additionally, Jeff teaches political studies at the University of Illinois, where he holds the James M. Benson Chair of Public Issues & Civic Leadership. Jeff resides in Champaign with his family.

Jeff Mondak, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, resided in Florida, Indiana, Michigan, & Pennsylvania in addition to travelling extensively. Since 1998, he has spoken about poetry and performed his own poetry in middle and elementary schools. Numerous publications, including Cricket and Spider, have published Jeff's funny poems and melodies.

Jeff Mondak

The Literary Meaning of the Poem

The conclusion of this poem seems to have a funny take to it. The poet is a child who has, at times before, gone through this exact situation of his father cooking dinner for him and failing at serving it as he messes up the dishes and also fills the kitchen with smoke. The end of the whole dinner-making session is the father and the kid ordering pizza from outside and then eating that for dinner rather than what the father attempted to cook.

Daddy’s Making Dinner Poem Summary

This funny poem is the story of a father and a son. The father very enthusiastically attempts to cook dinner for himself and his son as he wants to also spend time with him while doing it but despite several attempts, he never accomplishes it. From the lyrics of the poem, we can make out that this is not the first time that the speaker’s father has failed to cook the dinner which also consists of the sugar bowl breaking and the house filling with smoke while this is happening. The father and the son duo end up ordering pizza when the dinner that was supposed to be eaten by them gets thrown in the trash as always. We hope you enjoyed reading this poem as well as Daddy’s Making Dinner poem summary.