I appreciate this so much. My trio almost never does family dinner, it’s mostly eaten while watching TV, though sometimes we eat together on our screened porch. But we are quick eaters, and even then it’s not very ceremonious. I have often felt like it should be MORE, more valued and sacred and enjoyed as such. But it just isn’t! We enjoy our after dinner walk together with the dogs, and my husband and I chat after bedtime about things not suitable for our child. I try to embrace that we are who we are and we don’t have to have that tradition in our home.
I was raised like you were—in two separate households—and have always done the same with our family, but lately, for many of the same reasons you write about, dinner has become so annoying and unpleasant! I don't quite dread it...but it's not really enjoyable either. So I love that you wrote about this and I love your solution too. xoxoxoxo
One of our pandemic carry overs is watching tv on Friday nights with dinner, which became somehow our pasta night. It’s now a sacred thing, and it’s been interesting to see how the shows have evolved over that time as the girls get older and yea for sure it gives us something to have in common. Weeknights we are at the table, but if one of us is burnt out it can call for a shift to tv eating. Cheers to making it work!
I grew up with Gilmore girls—8 pm on Tuesdays. My mom and I would watch and my dad would pretend not to watch with us. It is the perfect show for family time—makes you actually think about family dynamics in ways that are helpful particularly for mothers and daughters. Glad to hear about its special powers carried on to the next generation.
Yes!! I love this, Abby! It's so easy to feel like things SHOULD look a certain way - but at different times of life, in different phases of parenting, it's so nice to acknowledge & accept that it's okay (it's wonderful, even!) to do what works for YOU. xoxo
I appreciate this so much. My trio almost never does family dinner, it’s mostly eaten while watching TV, though sometimes we eat together on our screened porch. But we are quick eaters, and even then it’s not very ceremonious. I have often felt like it should be MORE, more valued and sacred and enjoyed as such. But it just isn’t! We enjoy our after dinner walk together with the dogs, and my husband and I chat after bedtime about things not suitable for our child. I try to embrace that we are who we are and we don’t have to have that tradition in our home.
I was raised like you were—in two separate households—and have always done the same with our family, but lately, for many of the same reasons you write about, dinner has become so annoying and unpleasant! I don't quite dread it...but it's not really enjoyable either. So I love that you wrote about this and I love your solution too. xoxoxoxo
Love it. We watched Seinfeld every night over a home-cooked meal, it made me who I am.
One of our pandemic carry overs is watching tv on Friday nights with dinner, which became somehow our pasta night. It’s now a sacred thing, and it’s been interesting to see how the shows have evolved over that time as the girls get older and yea for sure it gives us something to have in common. Weeknights we are at the table, but if one of us is burnt out it can call for a shift to tv eating. Cheers to making it work!
I grew up with Gilmore girls—8 pm on Tuesdays. My mom and I would watch and my dad would pretend not to watch with us. It is the perfect show for family time—makes you actually think about family dynamics in ways that are helpful particularly for mothers and daughters. Glad to hear about its special powers carried on to the next generation.
Yes!! I love this, Abby! It's so easy to feel like things SHOULD look a certain way - but at different times of life, in different phases of parenting, it's so nice to acknowledge & accept that it's okay (it's wonderful, even!) to do what works for YOU. xoxo