amy d
GuestConversation
lauraandaaron
Liv
Nell @ Whole Parenting Family
Rolf Lowenberg-DeBoer
LisaS
My husband and I have used the word “family” with many things we do, even pre-baby. Family walks were evening strolls with the dog. We’d take the “family” out to my parent’s house on the St. Croix river (again, myself, my husband, and the dog). The whole “family” slept together upstairs, Rolf and I spooning in bed, the dog on the floor at the end , and the cat snuggled up in between. The phrase, “as a family” was used well before our daughter was born.
You can imagine our joy to add one more being to the fam! Since the first months of Vera’s life were in the dead of winter, family walks weren’t really an option. We did sleep as a family, but sleep….well, that’s another blog. So family dinner was an important time for us to be together. Rolf would come home from work, we’d tag team to walk the dog, take a shower, or make a quick trip to the store while the other cared for the baby. Once all was taken care of, our dinner routine began. Rolf would sit at the island in our kitchen, holding Vera and holding a conversation as I washed, chopped, and cooked.
As many parents know, the evening is not usually a shining time for any infant. Maintaining Vera’s temperament could be a challenge, but one that was important to take on to keep that time together. From a very early age, probably around a month old, we had her sitting in her highchair, severely reclined of course, at the dinner table with us. We started having her there mainly because we didn’t know where else to put her. Occasionally she napped through, but most of the time, like clock-work, she woke up just as we sat down to eat (often hungry herself, of course!)
So, family dinners carried on. My husband and I had a moment to share together over a common interest, food; and Vera was included in family time, building an important bond between the three of us. And of course the cat and dog were always underfoot.
I encourage all families to make time for a family dinner. Both Rolf and I grew up in families where dinners we eaten together, or else..! But it created a time for conversation, light-hearted or serious, and most importantly, just a time to be together. I feel strongly that including Vera in this time at such an early age has given her a sense of security in her new world and as a member of the family.
It also may have jump-started her fascination with food and her desire to get her hands on a burger…
Filed under: Education and Parenting, Whole Health | Tagged: baby, childcare, cooking, family, food, health, lifestyle, self-care |
Family Dinner 
[…] with one of so many questions and concerns to come, I got our routine and tradition of family dinners back on […]
This is really key for family development. We aim to have family dinner each night unless my husband absolutely has to work late. It’s really true that if you set aside time for it, and make it a priority, that it enhances not only your food but your relationship.
Have you found that it’s hard to eat in front of her unless you’re sharing with her? Our little 13 month old has dinner earlier than when Daddy gets home and then gets a snack when the adults eat (as it’s pretty close to nursing-to-bed time). It’s tough to keep food out of his grips. I guess that means we have to keep ourselves as healthy as possible so he can share what we’re having (to the extent of his palate).
I should say, that Vera has been going to bed pretty early these days, so recently we don’t always have dinner the 3 of us (however we are working on pushing her bed time later for a variety of reasons). But I still believe that making that time together in the early days was really important to lay the foundation of a family. When she is awake for family dinner I have been giving her a little snack, or she gets jealous of our tasty food!
That’s a great idea to have her snacks nearby . . . to ensure a good time is had by all!
[…] ABC News did a piece on the the importance of family dinners. I guess Rolf and I are really onto […]