Maybe it’s time to stop stressing about the family dinner
Categories: Balancing Act, Parenting & Family
For a while after our daughter was born I used to stress about the fact that we rarely ate dinner as a family during the week. Our nanny or babysitter would feed our daughter before my husband and I got home and then he and I would grab some food later at night. On weekends we’d sit down for lunch or dinner together, but during the week the schedules just didn’t work out. But since I read study after study about how having family dinners has a positive impact on kids — better nutrition, less involvement with alcohol and drugs, etc. — I felt quite guilty that our family dinners were so few and far between.
Eventually, I learned to let it go. Well, maybe not completely, but for the most part, I figure there are enough real things to stress about than not being able to be the Leave It to Beaver perfect family. I also came up with an alternative — a family breakfast. Most mornings, even if just for a few minutes, the three of us all sit down for a warm breakfast together and catch our breath before the daily hectic pace begins. I’m pretty sure that it doesn’t matter what meal it is and what the family dinner is really about is spending some focused time together as a family.
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