Apr 25 2011
The Family Time…
I wrote a little book about my daycare life for 25 years and shared some recipes that I cooked for scores of children and of course my own family too. I talked about the importance of bringing the family back to the table and having those old fashioned family meals again.
My oldest daycare child was four years old, down to the youngest infant. We had our snacks and meals at my table every single day, unless I decided to have a picnic in the backyard. The children were not in those snug cubicle seats, they all sat in the “grown-up” dining room chairs. None of them fell out and all of them were happy to sit at our big table. They learned table manners and how to take turns having conversations. I loved sharing our meals together. They also took turns cooking and helping prepare all the dishes we had. It was very similar to a family dining experience, and that was just my intention.
I see more news stories about table meals and even celebrities are talking about the same thing now. Maybe because of our economy or the fears of job losses or maybe because the subject is being discussed. Chefs like Jamie Oliver hosting “The Food Revolution” is making a big impression on parents and schools, or at least I sure hope so. I guess it doesn’t really matter what the source is, but that people all over, are talking about the importance of “Family Time.”
When my kids were younger, that’s what we called our Sundays. They could not play with their friends, or neighbors. We all stayed home, and hung out as a family. Even after my divorce, I continued to make Sundays our Family Day.
It’s a lost art nowadays, to schedule time just for your own family. This is where the priority should always be. It’s important for kids to know and understand the importance of the family unit. How special that time is together. Few families seem to make this commitment today.
It’s never too late to plan a day that just belongs to the family. If it’s a Sunday dinner, then have that be your special family day. If it’s a Friday evening, then make it special for everyone. Nothing fancy, just shared time and conversation and being together.
Your kids will grow up so fast and Family Meals will get more hectic to schedule because of their work schedules, school events and friends. While they are young, set the standard so they will always remember how very special it was to have Family Time.
