Marjorie has been doing some great articles about entertaining and her recent one about sit-down dinners for guests made me think about family sit-down meals. How often do you and your family sit down together to eat? Sometimes, it’s darn near impossible to do, but it’s important to make time to do it regularly.
Sitting down and having a meal together helps families bonds. It gives everyone a chance to catch up, even if you’re usually all running in different directions. These days, so many families are overscheduled, that they rarely eat right, let alone eat together.
Even if you just grab a pizza and gather everyone around the table to eat it together, it’s important to do it whenever possible. This is a good way to stay in closer communication with your kids. They’re much more likely to tell you about their day, when everyone is sitting comfortably and talking casually.
If it’s been a long time since your family has sat down and shared a meal, try it. You might just be surprised by how much you’ve missed it. You might also be surprised by how much your kids secretly like it, even if they do moan when you suggest it.
Again, it doesn’t have to be a big or fancy meal. It doesn’t even really have to be dinner. Breakfast or lunch together on the weekend can also work. Sometimes, when the week has just been way too hectic, my husband or I will make a big batch of pancakes or French toast. We all gather in the kitchen, usually still in our jammies, and just relax and chat and catch up.
When is the last time your whole family sat down and shared a meal? Is this something you do regularly or perhaps something you’d like to do more often?