Do you bring work home? Do you have many extra activities that take you away from home at night? Are you over committed? Do you ever hear a small, sweet voice say to you, “Mommy, are you going out again?” Do you ever overhear a mature voice on the phone to her mother say, “Yes Mom, Fred’s going to another ball game tonight.” We live busy lives and we love it. However,...
Dinnertime isn’t like real estate. It’s not location, location, location. Dinnertime is an attitude. It’s bringing your family together with time and your undivided attention. It’s making each member of your family feel important. Dinnertime as an event can happen anywhere—the table, in a restaurant, at the park, in your car. My favorite memory of my mother that...
You have a circle of influence. Your circle of influence sits at your dinner table. Your influence is the most powerful when you give your circle time and attention. Dinnertime is a perfect opportunity to do that. Making dinnertime a family event has nothing to do with what you are eating or where you are eating it. It has everything to do with gathering your family together and giving them...
I have a friend that conducts seminars for corporate executives and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. He had a conversation with a CEO about how the CEO made the final decision on whom to hire from the final three candidates for one position. This CEO took each candidate out to lunch—individually. He wanted to see how the candidates handled themselves at the table. What were their table...
The purpose of dinnertime is to connect, talk and have fun with your family. You want everyone to pay attention to each other and not be texting friends. I suggest you create a family security administration. The family security administration, or FSA, protects the family’s dining room to ensure that conversation is safe from any distractions. The family conversation is the main event. The...
No amount of salt or butter can make bitter Brussels sprouts taste better. Never serve them and be certain to intercept them before they come to the table. What are bitter Brussels sprouts? It’s the family news anchor. He recites the entire day’s tragic events. He knows exactly what happened, when it happened and the total body count. And, if by some miracle there wasn’t...
In order to make dinnertime a fun family event you do need certain ingredients. Cupcakes are mandatory. Cupcakes are sweet, delicious and just make you feel good. There’s a reason they’re served at parties and not at funerals. Cupcakes are your family clowns. They ensure that fun, laughter and playfulness are present. Cupcakes don’t allow anyone to be criticized or corrected. ...
Cooking dinner is a process and requires many steps. You don’t have to do it all. Don’t be a martyr. Instead, add the most important ingredient to dinnertime—workers. Anyone who eats is a worker. Skilled laborers are not mandatory only clean hands are. This is dinner not brain surgery. See yourself as the bandleader. Give everyone an instrument and a part to play...
I didn’t work outside the home the first 6 years of my marriage. Instead, I became an overachieving homemaker. I cleaned, cooked, baked bread and made my own clothes. I was a wife-a-holic. I took care of my husband’s whims—every one of them. I’m betting some men might appreciate those qualities in a wife. When I decided to work outside the home I easily switched to...
Do you ever have to visit relatives you don’t like? You now the ones I’m referring to. They are annoying and grate on your nerves. These types of relatives are usually in your spouse’s family. Although you do have that great Aunt that you try to avoid at all cost. She always wants to tell you all about her illnesses, surgeries and medications. According to her, it’s...
