Meals times: Make it work!!

I really feel like there is much to be said for sitting down together as a family during meals. It is such a great time for everyone to download and take a breath together. It may be the one time throughout the day that you get to sit down and look at the members of your family in the eye, take a moment to take them in and say "Hi! How was your day and how are you doing?"

Additionally, as a mother there is also something extremely satisfying to me about cooking a great tasting, healthy meal for my babies. I love to sit down with them and look at them both, ask about their day and just "be" with them. Unfortunately/fortunately, because I have to/am able to work the majority of weeknights, I am so sad to miss this with them and am often seeing them for the first time since the morning send off, as I am squeezing in as much time possible during bedtime tuck ins.

Because of the connection that meal time can bring, I do feel like it is a time that should not only be promoted but protected. This is difficult for me as having several clients who can only meet in the evening, changing my schedule is not an option. Maybe that's my lack of faith....I don't know. I know one incredible woman whose family always has dinner together every evening at 5:30 on the dot. They have even moved sports teams to accommodate their family dinner time! While some may think this extreme, she feels not having this time together as a family is not an option for them. She has said, "I will move whatever I need to move around so we can have dinner together. Its that important to me." I so admire this mom and her determination to keep her family connected. Unfortunately, as a single working mom, this is not an option for me....

I struggled with this and thought, "there has to be a way that I can make this principle work better in our little family." While I am home quite a few nights, and am able to prepare and partake in the majority of their meals (no phones, books, or any distractions allowed) it isn't as often as I would like. I wanted more time to connect, also something that they will look back and remember that we always did "X". So here is how, in the words of Project Runway's Tim Gunn, I "Make it work!"...

A love of music and dancing is HUGE in our family. I pretty much have music wherever I go and I am notorious for dancing around the house while I am doing whatever, cooking, making my bed, etc. My kids will often join in this with me and we can all have some fun and let loose together. Saturday mornings also happen to be a time when we are always together. So, for quite a while now, we have been having our Saturday morning Pancake Breakfast Dance Party!! I feature different pancakes each week. At the beginning of the week, I will post that week's "special" along with the musical theme. My 14 year old creates the playlist for us. We all dance and cook and then sit down to enjoy our pancakes together. I love this time with them!!! They get excited to see what this week's feature will be. The last two weeks have included 80s Alternative Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes and Disco Pineapple Pumpkin, Pecan Pancakes (these are my new favorite!)

My point to all of this lengthy rambling?? There are always things that we wish we had more time, resources, etc for. I have found that the less I stop wishing I had more of whatever or I could do more of whatever, and find an angle to satisfy whatever need I am wanting to fill or purpose I am wanting to obtain (in this case, creating memories and moments of closeness with my kids) with what I DO have and what I CAN do, it works just fabulously! So, take a little inventory of what you DO have available and what you CAN offer and "Make it work!" (and... if you can be stylish at the same time, BONUS!!) ;0)