Love is dining together as a family
The saying goes “a family eats together, stays together”, with that said, we’re hoping we’ll be fortunate to fulfill that saying.
Ever since Tyler was born, six years ago, I’ve always fed him separately before my hubbie and I have dinner. And we’ve done that routine with all our three children…until recently. When my active tomboy, Sophia, was able to climb onto chairs, tables, any high places, dinner for two was a difficult task with her wanting to climb onto one of our legs, wanting more food. After all, she has a “bottomless pit” for a tummy.
So I’ve made an executive decision a month ago to have dinner, as a family, at 6ish when the hubbie gets home from work instead of feeding the kids at 5ish. You’d have thought we came up with a new formula for Coke or something. It’s like one of those moments where you’d say “why didn’t we think of this sooner?”
It’s great having the interactions with all the kids at the dinner table. My hubbie would begin telling the kids what he did at the office for the day, and then each of the boys would take their turn telling us their day at school. In the meantime, Sophia would love to chime in with her limited vocabulary but her mouth is stuffed most of the time.
In addition to that, we don’t have to rush the kids to finish their meals. They know if they don’t finish in a timely manner then they won’t have enough time to play before bed time. This leaves us with a leisurely dinner AND actual adult conversations in between.
Shoot, this parenting gig is a breeze! It only took us six years to figure this one out but still we got it finally. We’re not as dumb as the kids think, we’re just pretending to look dumb. Yeah that is, that’s the ticket.
Happy Love Thursday!
The saying goes “a family eats together, stays together”, with that said, we’re hoping we’ll be fortunate to fulfill that saying.
Ever since Tyler was born, six years ago, I’ve always fed him separately before my hubbie and I have dinner. And we’ve done that routine with all our three children…until recently. When my active tomboy, Sophia, was able to climb onto chairs, tables, any high places, dinner for two was a difficult task with her wanting to climb onto one of our legs, wanting more food. After all, she has a “bottomless pit” for a tummy.
So I’ve made an executive decision a month ago to have dinner, as a family, at 6ish when the hubbie gets home from work instead of feeding the kids at 5ish. You’d have thought we came up with a new formula for Coke or something. It’s like one of those moments where you’d say “why didn’t we think of this sooner?”
It’s great having the interactions with all the kids at the dinner table. My hubbie would begin telling the kids what he did at the office for the day, and then each of the boys would take their turn telling us their day at school. In the meantime, Sophia would love to chime in with her limited vocabulary but her mouth is stuffed most of the time.
In addition to that, we don’t have to rush the kids to finish their meals. They know if they don’t finish in a timely manner then they won’t have enough time to play before bed time. This leaves us with a leisurely dinner AND actual adult conversations in between.
Shoot, this parenting gig is a breeze! It only took us six years to figure this one out but still we got it finally. We’re not as dumb as the kids think, we’re just pretending to look dumb. Yeah that is, that’s the ticket.
Happy Love Thursday!
“You’d have thought we came up with a new formula for Coke or something.” That one made me laugh out loud.
Congrats on finding a dinner solution that works for everyone! Indeed, that is no small task, Betty!!
And yay for me!!! I’m rarely the first commenter.
See, I like your orginial idea of having dinner alone with hubby! I can’t get a word in edgewise with my kids at the table. Glad you found something that works for you as a family!
We actually managed to eat at a restaurant successfully this week. At the same time! I’m not counting on that working on a regular basis, but it was a nice night.
You are so lucky your husband is home by 6! Mine is lucky to get home by 7 or 7:30, and the kids go to bed at 8, so dinner all together is rarely an option. We try to have lunch and dinner together on the weekends, though. Keep up the new and great habit!
yes! I do believe that a family should have at least one meal together every day. my husband rarely gets home before 7pm though, which is often too late for the boys, so we try to make the most of Fridays, weekends and Tuesdays (kids don’t have school on Wednesday), and try to have breakfast together as often as we can.
Good on you for finding what works and what makes everyone happy…and for sharing it with the rest of us
Well, maybe this was the perfect time. Glad you’re enjoying it! I like that “just looking dumb” explanation. Think I’ll use that one too. ;0)
Happy LT.
We have the same problem whenever DH is not working. My girls get hungry really early so they eat dinner at about 5pm. There is no way DH is eating that early. Sometimes he just sits at the table with us and then eats later.
I’m looking forward to this someday. I think family dinners are the way it should be.
Sweet.
That’s very cool!
We’ve been doing this since my daughter was tiny and love it.
Sounds like a glorious time….
Yeah, me too. PRETENDING! Ha!
Since we’ve moved to SD my husband’s commute is now 1/2 hr, compared to 1 1/2 hours he was commuting before. So, he gets home around 430. Gives us plenty of time to have dinner together and we really enjoy and treasure it. I grew up with family dinner time, so it was really important to me. I think it’s great you are able to do so now. I think the kids will really treasure it and make it a tradition of their own.
Lol! good for you.
we’ve been trying to do the family dinner too for a couple of years now & it works really well. Now if just me & Nate eat before daddy (happens sometimes, not often) then he’s kind of weirded out. Always asks “why isn’t daddy eating with us”
I totally agree with that saying “families that eat together, stay together” I can definitely see it.
Glad you were able to figure out a time for all of you to eat together as well.
We go in spurts of eating at the table and then eating in front of the tv. The kids seem to enjoy both equally, so it really depends on how much crap I have piled on the dining room table. How’s that for a real mom confession?
My “family of origin” did not eat at a table very often, but I try to have my family now eat at a table. It just is more civilized, or something like that.