WOW! Back to school hit with fierceness this year. I can't remember ever being so busy. The Tuscaloosa City Schools changed from the four block day to the seven period day. At the same time, our Case Manager at Northridge decided that she would like a change and go back into the classroom. That means that she no longer handles all of our paperwork and meetings. Sooo...I could go into a really long explanation about the new things I have to do at work, along with having forty-three students at once rather than the ten or so that I am used to managing, but that would probably be looooong and boring. Suffice it to say that I am working 300% harder, and I also have half the time during the school day to manage the workload. My brain might explode. Some days I get lose all coherent thoughts. I'm getting too old for that. I am tired when I get home mentally and physically.
One thing I am set on, however, is the family dinner hour. I use the term loosely, because sometimes it is the family dinner ten minutes, but we make it to the table.There are many obstacles to this event.
Obstacle one: Extra Curricular Activities...especially theater. It is next to impossible to get everyone together during show production week, but it can be done!! Many times the hubs walks in to sit straight down at the table, scarfs something yummy, and then heads out to a meeting or a practice. If I have to pick someone up from an after school practice, that messes up cooking. You can't start dinner, leave for a while, and then come back and finish it. Someone has to be home to keep the house from burning down :-). Thankfully J is driving this year. But Unlike Scott, he is not home much so if sister needs a ride it is up to me.
Obstacle two: Event start time. Don't event planners know that it is virtually impossible to feed a family and make it to an event by 6 PM? If they don't I guess I just officially let the word out. It is even harder for the working mom who doesn't even leave until five. No way can you cook, sit down to eat and make it on time for something that starts at 6 PM. What falls into this category? Open houses, baby showers, craft nights, board meetings...etc. This leaves two options for the sit down to dinner crew: fast food or chicken nuggets. Why? Because one you pick up on the way home and the other takes 10 minutes to cook. If you are lucky you can add a veggie or two to the nuggets. Oh...option three would be to cook after the event, but that would put bedtime at around midnight I guess, by the time conversation and clean up are finished with.
This fall I have managed to plan every evening event under my control on the same night. That way we only miss one family dinner opportunity. Only one missed opportunity to talk about grades, friends, and events at school. Maybe one missed opportunity to have a rousing family disagreement. Ummm...yes that happens a lot, but we use it as a teaching tool. Only one missed opportunity to pray for each other and bear one another's burdens. Only one missed opportunity to cry with each other. All of this and more has occurred at our table for the past twelve or so years.
There are many statistics about the advantages of family meals together. You can google them if you wish. I can tell you I just like talking to my kids and my husband. I want to know what is going on in their lives and what brings them joy or sorrow. I want to minister to them through paper plates and chicken nuggets and sometimes no veggies. So if you plan an event during the week I am not shunning you, I'm just home cooking and waiting to talk.
My kids have friends over occasionally to spend the night and we sit down to dinner with them. Some of them feel very awkward at our table. I can tell they eat on the run a lot. Possibly in front of the television on a tray. I've had folks come to the door while we were all gathered at the table. (you can see us through the picture window) They look startled and unsure what to do. One kid even asked his parents why they never sat down together to eat. Heavy sigh :-(.
So I hope if you are able, you might be inspired to try one sit down dinner per week with the fam. Baby steps, you know. We're all busy and have different things that might prevent the dinner hour. Good luck and happy dining. Try some new crock pot recipes for those busiest days.
Roll Tide and Go Reds!!
Monica
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