Can you imagine a life where your family is not hurriedly scurrying around looking for the items they need for the next place they have to be on the agenda? Or maybe you want to imagine everyone sitting around the dinner table together, at the same time, eating the same meal, TOGETHER.
Having trouble picturing that? If so, it’s probably because you are too busy and your kids are too busy.
Yeah, I know. That statement won’t win me any friends but that’s okay because I am feeling a little conviction myself. Steven and I have always said that each kid will only get one sport/outside activity a year. yes, a year. We homeschool so there isn’t pressure to do every sport under the sun just because it’s there. Yeah, another statement that won’t win friends or influence…whatever. That’s what we have chosen for our family. The beauty of this is that you can choose what is right for your family.
See how that works? Nice, isn’t it?
Well, because of this little rule we have we have always been able to eat dinner as a family for at least 5-6 of the nights a week and generally all seven of them. It’s a wonderful thing to have dinner together as a family. I highly suggest it.
Unfortunately this year, for a few more months, we have a snafu in the schedule. Our 12yo, Sweet Pea, is in a play that meets once a week from 3:30-5:50pm. Right in the middle of dinner time.
So not cool. It is for a finite period of time so we will deal with it and rethink it if she wants to do it again. Think we’re crazy? That’s okay because having dinner together is that important to us.The next problem is the 9yo, Peanut’s, ballet class. It is at 5pm on a different night. That means on that night dinner is terribly rushed and everyone gets stressed out. No sitting and laughing together that night.
So, two nights are either rushed or we don’t get to sit down and eat together. We so do not like that.
But, considering we have four kids that are each in one sport and you get a lot of time outside the house. I know we are in the minority on this one and that’s okay. We are still going to strive to have dinner together every night and to limit the amount of time we spend on sports or things that take us away from family time.
After all, one of the reasons we homeschool is to have the kids with us so that we can disciple them and help them follow the path God has waiting for them. (no ugly comments about homeschooling versus public/private school-this post is about what our family chooses)
1 comment:
A meal together every day is important in our house too. Thus, why you will find us eating "dinner" at 1:00 in the afternoon some days because that is the only time it works in our crazy life! However, some of the children don't have this same line of thought and thus get upset when activities are vetoed because we won't be able to have a meal together if that activity happens. I figure someday they will appreciate it! LOL Hang in there- only 7 weeks more for that play!!
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