Like most families, our schedule is very chaotic and overwhelming. One thing I insist on is everyone sitting down together for dinner. Of course, this means sometimes we eat dinner at 4:30 PM, and other times at 8:00 PM. I do this because I think it is a great time to commune over food and really get to have the kids attention. There are just a couple of rules we enforce for our dinner:
1. Use your manners. Practicing at home means you will not forget them when you are out at a restaurant or eating at a friend's house.By manners we mean, no elbows on the table, chew with your mouth closed, and keep bodily functional noises away (and I have a BOY, so farting and burping are things he takes great pride in doing well).
2. Take what you get, and don't throw a fit. I work hard all day and make concerted efforts to cook at least one thing per meal that everyone will enjoy. It takes a lot of coordination and planning to make a healthy family dinner after a long day at work. I will not tolerate bitching and complaining about WHAT I have prepared. If you don't like it, don't eat it....but there will not be any dessert or snacking later. And being Momginerd, yes, I have an APP for that. It is called Evernote, and it ROCKS!
Last year I started a tradition where we all go around the table answering 1 question. This has led to some pretty funny responses from the offspring.
Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Princepessa (7): I want to be a millionaire pet shop owning artist.
Me: How she will you BECOME a millionare?
Princepessa: Marry someone rich, duh.
Me: Why don't you earn your own money?
Princepessa: Because if a boy is dumb enough to give me his money, why shouldn't I just do what I like? Me: "crickets"
Me: Bubbie, when do you want to get your hair cut? (His hair is pretty long, and he has even be mistaken as a girl on occasion).
Bubbie (9): I don't.
Me: Why not?
Bubbie: The ladies love the locks, mom.
Me: Okay then......
Me: Manudo, put down those electronics and come to the table.
Manudo (13): grumble, grumble grumble.
Me: I don't understand why you kids are so ADDICTED to those electronics! When I was a kid we used to go OUTSIDE and play with other real life people!
Manudo: Looking over at my 2 lap tops, iPad, Kindle, iPhone "Jeeze mom, I don't know where we get it from."
Me: "............."
Nic
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