Pass the salt

Filed under: Feeding & Nutrition, Family togetherness, Eating, 12-18 monthsI am a product of a divorce. My parents split and my Dad left to live in a condo when I was 8 (I think). I remember him telling me in a white Datsun that he was not going to live with us anymore. What I also remember is my mother trying to keep the tradition of eating together very much alive - even with the fourth seat at our Formica kitchen table very much empty. I am very pro-family dinner, seeing it as a way to connect to all members of my family for at least 30 minutes a day. Even Tasman, who is challenging at 17 months with the toss fling chomp spit ritual he has got going on at the moment. We contemplated having him eat prior to our sitting down, pushing our standard 6:30pm dinner time to 7pm, with Hudson sated by television and an apple for the additional 30 minutes. Thankfully we decided against it. I love seeing him eat and enjoy the tactile goodness that is smeared sweet potatoes. I also think him seeing all of us at the table, managing our utensils, laughing at silly jokes, tsk tsking any reference to flatulence and simply enjoying each other company is a lovely way for a toddler to graduate to boy. We also think badgering Hudson about his daily activities at dinner will both offer insight into how our nanny is handling the child rearing by proxy and to make sure we are involved in what goes on at his school. We ask pointed questions like if any bullies are starting their bully career or if his teacher is sipping stinky liquids from flasks. That kind of thing. The time is spent laughing and loving, from hot dogs to homemade Indian, and I look forward to it every night. I do also remember some TV dinner moments from my youth - so I know it happened, and do not harbour any resentment to my wonderful mother. She was brilliant in her single motherdom. How serious do you take family dinners? Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments