You might be thinking that I had to learn how to cook at a young age, but the truth is, before “meal prepping” became a thing, my Mom spent her Sunday afternoons in the kitchen, planning out  and cooking all of our meals for the week.  During the week it was my job to preheat the oven and put the casserole dish in at the specified time, so that we could all sit down to eat by 6 p.m., when she and my Step-dad walked through the door.  It is a routine that served me well as a young adult when I first started out on my own and was struggling with balancing a full-time job and college and then again, when I became a full-time Mom to my five young children.  Whether my husband is home or away on business, the same routine that my Mom established when I was young, became the standard in my own household.  We sit down each night as a family and we eat at the same time. All five of my children play sports–some of them two or three–but despite the busyness that has become our lives,  we rarely waiver from our routine.  Sure there are times when ordering take out would be easier and there are times when I have no choice, but I feel good knowing I’m doing the best I can for my family by providing them whole, fresh, food. In fact, my kids will protest LOUDLY when dinner isn’t homemade OR at our usual time.  I’m actually smiling as I type this, because I know how important this can potentially be in THEIR future households.

Did you know that recent studies indicate that regular around-the-table family dinners are linked to:

• Better academic performance
• Higher self-esteem
• Lower risk of substance abuse
• Lower rates of obesity

Family dinners aren’t a cure-all, but giving my children a solid foundation, while understanding the benefits that I experienced in my own childhood, make this a no-brainer.  Plus, we actually enjoy one another’s company!

When it comes to dinner time around the table, we have certain rules:  No T.V., no cell-phones and no phones.  We bless the food and give thanks for the abundance in our lives and ask for strength in our struggles. We discuss our ups and downs, taking turns around the table to share our roses and thorns.  We each get to share one rose (a good thing about our day) and two thorns (two not-so-good things about our day).  Some nights the kids might be chomping at the bit to be excused and get back to homework, but by and large they are thankful for the break and the opportunity to discuss what’s happening in their lives.  We talk about life, friends and the world around us.  We discuss our relationships with each other and relationships outside our family and talk to the kids about planning their futures.  Sitting around the table is literally a spring-board for our children’s future endeavors…and isn’t that what family is all about?