…and the living is easy…??

Jul 11, 2011 by jennifer

 

As the moderately busy mom of a kindergartner, I tend to have a difficult time getting dinner put together most nights without someone throwing a temper tantrum (and by “someone” I mean either of us). Between work, school and social commitments, often the only time I am able to share quality time with Leith is during dinner.

Anyone who has a preschooler or kinder at home will understand when I say that dinner is hardly our finest hour. Leith is acting persnickety, I am flustered and tired from a long day at work and time is short. Lately, it has been more than tempting to simply throw the meal on the table and allow him to just zone out in front of the television. I hate to admit it, but I actually did that once recently. I am aware that this doesn’t qualify as quality time spent with my kid, and recently have been trying to think of new ways to optimize our “witching hour” to get us to sit down and eat, and talk — on (somewhat!) gracious terms.

When it comes time to prepare dinner, Leith is always buzzing around the kitchen looking for something to play with or snack on. I involve him in the cooking process – either by helping out in the kitchen or just simply allowing him to pretend cook on the kitchen floor. He loves to get ingredients out of the fridge and can be trusted to cart items to the counter and back (he’s even managed to lug eggs from the fridge to the counter without dropping them!) while I am cooking. He has also recently graduated to tasks such as cracking an egg, mixing ingredients by hand, adding various ingredients to the mixer, separating onion slices and piling on pizza toppings. There is nothing wrong with a boy who likes to cook.

Depending on how busy a given week is, I do still see the importance of organizing at least one night when we can enjoy each other’s company for more than a few fleeting moments. The two of us sit at the table, with the television off and talk school, or our plans for the upcoming weekend. Sometimes I even try to have some fun with this “special” night by having a themed dinner like homemade pizza night or cooking Leith’s favorite breakfast food (“Bacon and eggs! Bacon and eggs!” he chants) for dinner. This is a great way to bond and cook up a creative and tasty dish that both of us enjoy. Family time shouldn’t be limited to eating whatever happens to be on the table – it should also include the fun and creativity put into the meal so that everyone feels included and excited for the delicious dishes ahead.

I have a few stand-by recipes that are good for these sorts of evenings – I hope you will try them with your family and let me know what secrets you have come up with for dealing with the dinner-time disaster hour.