Sometimes, as a blog writer, you feel really inspired to write something deep and inspirational, and other times it’s something really practical you feel led to share. I am going with the practical this week. Many of us find ourselves in a unique position where we, along with those we share space with, are all home for dinner. There aren’t late hours at the office, soccer practice, church activities, etc. While these are all good things, not having these things is allowing for more family time. One way we as a family have always enjoyed spending time together is meal time, specifically dinnertime. **Note: what I am sharing is what works for us. It’s not prescriptive and it’s not judging other families for their ways of doing things.
Even before the stay at home order, dinnertime was a time we valued. Whomever is home at dinner sits down together for a home cooked meal (with usually one meal out a week). That being said, there were frequent times that someone had to work late, someone was at a sporting or school activity, or someone was at a social gathering. This meant that sometimes, there were only two or three of us together for the meal, and not always all four. One of the biggest blessings of this pandemic, is all four of us are home for dinner almost every night. Because dinnertime has brought us so much joy in the past, we get this experience daily at this point. As the parent home during the day throughout all of this, I have incorporated much of this into all three meals of the day.
Below are some of the ways that we maximize dinnertime, along with some new ideas for this pandemic world in which we find ourselves:
- No matter how many family members are home, have everyone sit down at the table for meal time. Just because someone is gone, does not mean dinnertime can’t go on as planned. Those that are there will benefit from the time together.
- Eliminate all electronics and distractions. Phones are put on vibrate or silence, and most of the time not even in the room. The front door is not answered and the TV is not on.
- Linger…don’t rush the meal. And even if the meal is completed, allow the conversation to linger.
- Allow for some silliness and laughter. We currently have a teen and preteen in our house which means they are at that weird, awkward, odd sense of humor stage. We go with it. If there is laughter, keep it going. I can’t tell you how many times dinner ends with me having tears in my eyes from laughing so hard.
- Go around and share “highs and lows” from the day. If conversation is hard, this is a great way to initiate it. Not only is everyone sharing something good from the day (you can read more about the benefits of gratitude here), but you are also encouraging vulnerability by having each person, if they are willing, share a low. Parents, participate in this as well. You have an opportunity to model gratitude and vulnerability for the next generation.
- If you want some extra fun, or need more help with conversation, use the Questions in a Box app. This is great for couples, blended families, or those families with children upper elementary and up.
- Invite your children, or spouse, to help in dinner preparation. I love to be in the kitchen, and I really love to be in there alone, so this one is a challenge for me. I do it though because I see the huge benefits. I am helping my daughters learn to cook, and this can also be a huge help for picky eaters.
- Give yourself permission, especially during this pandemic, to have fun with food. Let kids pick out recipes they want to make. Buy foods you don’t normally buy and challenge yourself to make something with them. This might even mean upping your grocery budget if you are financially able. Food can bring people together and offer so much enjoyment. It’s also a time to use food as nourishment as well as comfort.
- Savor your food. Count your blessings as you prepare your food…for the food itself…for those you get to eat it with…for the ability to taste your food and the abundance of varying textures and flavors.
- Support local and get take out. Preparing meals for your family, if that’s your responsibility, can be tiring. Allow yourself to have a break and order take out. We have been trying to support local, so it’s been fun to get take out from various places and enjoy a night off from preparing food. This doesn’t have to be expensive. Maybe it’s just getting pizza dough from your neighborhood pizza shop (we have been loving this option), or perhaps it’s just getting some ice cream from your local ice cream stand.
While there are so many difficult things about this pandemic, I have challenged myself to look for the good. For my family and I, that is the ability to experience dinnertime together every day. What ways to do maximize meal time at your house?
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