A few years ago, we asked our older kids what some of their best memories of their childhood were. I expected them to say a vacation or a place we went, but they surprised us by saying that some of their best memories happened when we were gathered around the dinner table. I heard a statistic recently that eating at least one meal together as a family brings order to the house, and that those children are less likely to engage in drugs and alcohol and have less struggles with obesity. What a great reminder that was.
For the most part, we are able to eat breakfast and supper as a family, and then whoever is home during the day will gather at our table for lunch. We try to remember to turn our phones off and keep distractions to a minimum. During meal times, we like to tell stories, ask questions, and share wisdom. If I read something to our younger kids during school, or hear something I want to share with my family, I will put a note on the table to remind me to share it. Toward the end of breakfast and supper we will do a Bible study.
Meal time is a great time to engage with our spouses and kids, learn to respect one another, express gratitude, build communication, acquire manners, and help us all grow in patience. We don’t expect perfection and sometimes there are melt-downs that we have to take care of, but it really is one of the best investments we can make in our families. With everyone going in different directions, I don’t think we would all see each other if we didn’t prioritize this.
We don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen in order to put a healthy meal on the table. The other day, I needed to make soap, along with all of our routine school and work, so I planned something quick and easy. I placed one of our frozen, pasture raised chickens in our cook-stove right after breakfast, and about an hour before we wanted to eat, I started heirloom rice on top of our cookstove. Right before lunch, we shredded up some homemade cheese and grabbed a jar of homemade salsa as a topping. We all felt great after that meal, and even with adding wood to the stove a couple times, I spent less than 20 minutes preparing that delicious lunch.
In order to bring everyone together, our meal times are a little flexible. Since we prioritize family meal times, we may have to say “no” to some good things. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants way too often, and other than our routine breakfast, I rarely have our meals planned for the day in advance. Somehow, we manage to always eat a clean, nourishing, traditional meal. We store basic ingredients in our home, and since we have decided never to eat out or buy processed foods, there’s no temptations when life gets crazy. If our family of 12 can grow most of our food and prepare everything from scratch with our busy schedules and work, anyone can do this.
What are some things you like to do when your family gathers around the table? What are some quick and easy meals that you like to make? I love when you leave comments! It’s so encouraging!