Family dinners shouldn't be reserved for holidays only

In a perfect world, dinnertime is the perfect spot in your day to connect as a family, recount your day and refocus before finishing the evening and starting another day. The family gathers, a hot meal is ready, there is laughter and chatter, and then everyone pitches in to clean up.

I’m not sure if you have found that world, but we typically only get postcards from it. Here, things are a bit more chaotic, and it takes a bit of work to get everyone together- and my kids are still little! As time goes on, things only get busier.

But a nice dinner as a family doesn’t have to always look the same. Sometimes you have to take it outside the box (even if it’s a pizza box!) to make it work.

Take dinner to the family

If you can't get to the table, take the "table" with you!

If you have a game to cheer for or an event to get to, pack up your dinner and rendezvous. A sideline meal is still a meal, or try to find a midway point to meet up and enjoy some solitude in the midst of chaos.

Less prep time leaves more family time

A dinner together doesn’t have to be gourmet to be nice. Make it easy on yourself by throwing something in the crockpot or having some freezer meals on hand. That way, you can spend what little time you have enjoying your family rather than cooking and cleaning.

Make dinner time game time!

If you need some help breaking the ice or if you need to make the most of your family time, try incorporating game night into dinner time. Games that don’t involve both hands or much reaching are good choices, like Scrabble or Yahtzee, or you can play fun board-less games like I Went to Market or Would You Rather?

Lots of games can be played during or after dinner to maximize your time together

Theme nights bring simplicity and structure

Meatless Mondays, Tuesday tacos, etc, will make meal planning simple. More than that, it will add a sense of structure to the week- dinner time will already be scheduled in rather than being a hit or miss, expendable part of the day.

For variety, you can make a new routine of themes each month, add in an interactive element (like a costume night, learning a new Spanish word for each taco night, or speaking only in questions for mystery night. Younger children are more likely to enjoy interaction like this), and have each family member get to pick the meal one night each week or month.

Take it outside

There is something very grounding and refreshing about being outside. Whenever you can, plan dinner to be outside. If you don’t have lawn furniture, lay out a blanket picnic-style or go to a nearby park. It might not happen often, but it is worth any effort it takes to be away from screens and noise and artificial light, even for a few moments.

The point of having dinner together is simply being together. If you’ve struggled lately, start small with just a dinner or two each week. It’s worth it!

What is your favorite childhood memory of a family dinner?

Photo credits to Average Jane, Mykl Roventine thebarrowboy