Hopefully everyone is adjusting to the new back-to-school schedule (for adults and kids!). With the addition of homework and running around for extra-curricular activities, the dinner hour may be getting more and more stressful. One thing that has worked for us is eating dinner as soon as the kids get home from school. Here are the benefits:
- The kids are always hungry when they get home. Instead of offering a snack, make this the usual time for dinner. Their growling stomachs are a great motivator to get them to help with the rest of the dinner preparation.
- The problem with having dinner later is that the pace of the evening hours can become rather hectic. You can easily get worn out by tackling the meal prep, eating dinner, meal clean-up, helping with homework, and getting kids ready for bed without much of a break in-between. By spreading these out you can work at a slower pace and avoid getting worn out and frustrated.
- By having dinner right when the kids get home they can take a break from schoolwork. Who wants to deal with homework right after spending hours in school anyhow? This way kids can sit down and catch up with their family right when they get home. Later in the evening they can take care of their homework and parents will be more focused with helping since they won't be busy getting dinner ready.
- The decreased stress from avoiding the dinner/homework/ready for bed rush may mean that your family will enjoy a little leisure time together by playing games or watching a movie. If anyone gets hungry later in the evening there's still plenty of time for a healthy snack.
Earlier dinners won't solve all of the issues with the weekday evening chaos, but it may allow for a slower pace and a more enjoyable time together as a family. Give it a try and see how it goes.
Jennifer Applin is a freelance writer, wife and mother of four. She spends her days cooking, cleaning and caring for little ones, and her nights writing about parenting, pregnancy, and the quest for peace (as in peace and quiet—there is such a thing, right?).