Dinner time is supposed to be a time to unwind and share how your day went with you loved ones. It can be a relaxing time after a long days work or long day of school. Sometimes things can get hectic. So, it's normal that there are dinner time "dos" and "don'ts". Here are a few of mine.
First of all, I'm embarrassed to admit that we didn't have a dinner table until about a year ago. We all ate together in the living room. I'm still not sure why, we just didn't get a table! Now that we have one though, we have some "dinner rules".
Our first dinner table "Do" is to always say grace. When we first started it my daughter thought I was crazy, but it's become a nightly tradition and I like to switch it up and have different people say it each night. My daughter now understands that we do appreciate what is given to us, and she knows who to thank for that!
Another thing we do is ask each other about our days. Mine are normally about the same, but I love to hear about my daughter's day at school and my husbands day at work. I think it helps keep us all "in touch" because life can get so busy sometimes we don't otherwise have a chance to ask.
One more thing that we do it to tell the cook honestly what we think of the meal they cooked. Most of the time I am the one cooking and I like to know if my family likes what I'm fixing so I can change it up if I need to. My daughter "grades" us. It's A++++ if she really likes it and other things are D- or F! I love it when my husband cooks so that I can "grade" him!
A few of our "don'ts": We don't put our elbows on the table. It drives me crazy! My mom used to get after me a ton because I did this, and I never really understood it until I was grown. To me it looks rude.
Another thing we don't do is get up without being asked to be excused. My mom didn't have this rule, but with my kiddos I need it! I think it's rude to get up in the middle of a meal that someone else fixed. Maybe just me, but I don't like it! Also, my kiddos have the attention span of a fruit fly, so they know not to get up!
Another BIG thing not to do at dinner is argue. We automatically change the subject if it starts. I believe that meal time should be peaceful, so any fights get nixed as soon as they start!
Meal time around here is a work in progress still, as we are still kind of getting used to eating at the table as a family. I'm sure our do's and don'ts will change as my kids get older. Hopefully though, mealtime will remain peaceful! What are some of your do's and don'ts at meal time?
“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Kraft Homestyle Macaroni and Cheese blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” (make sure you link to http://krafthomestyle.socialmoms.com/about)
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