I grew up in a house where dinner time was family time. Every night, we all ate together, no one was allowed to eat alone in their room, or later because they were not hungry right now.
I cherish that time as a family, I know it allowed my parents to keep tabs on us kids better, allowed for them to know who we were becoming as people, and it is something I will insist on doing as ours get older.
But that means we start at the beginning.
Dinner time in our house is something we have never delayed until the kids are in bed, we eat together and it is never on a couch watching TV.
The TV must also be off! Dinner time is family time.
Here is the problem though, right now we are dealing with teaching 2 toddlers that this means sitting in your chair and eating.
It does not mean you get to put all your food into your water glass, make "soup", and then play with said soup.
It does not mean you get to run around the house playing and then eating snacks at 7:00 because you decided you did not "like" chicken today.
I know I am not the first parent to battle the dinner time struggles, and I will not be the last.
Right now our family time often involves a time out for Anderson, where he is misbehaving so much that he warrants a time out in his room until he calms down enough to sit at the table and eat.
Jackie is much better at sitting, but due to a recent issue with a specific food, she thinks all food will cause the same reaction and tries not to eat it - fun!
I know we will get there, I know they are still young and we will keep plugging away at insisting family dinner time means no TV and it is time to eat and spend a little time together.
3 comments:
Good for you! I think it's great that you are insisting on a set dinner time that takes place at the table with the TV off. I grew up with the same type of mealtime routine that you describe as part of your bringinig up but haven't insisted on the same thing with my kids.
Hey! I left you an award on my blog!!! :)
10jan11
Hi Jenny
Nice to see that what we believed to be good and wholesome for our family those many years ago is being replecated in your home.
I remember saying many times to eager-to-leave-the-table youngsters: "No, just sit tight and be with us for a while longer. We are nice people!"
Interestingly, the best times of family rapport and growth occured after you guys did hang around to engage in conversations that were relevant to us as a family and to each of you as growing members of it.
D.
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