Just about everyone has heard of Taco Tuesdays, the night of the week where taco’s come to dinner and kids (and parents) everywhere can’t wait for Tuesday to come around, but there is no reason that Tuesdays should have all the fun!
I’m sure Taco Tuesday started as a great marketing plan in a corporate boardroom to increase sales but it can actually be a busy parent’s best friend. In fact, it is essentially just meal planning in a fun themed way.
Let’s face it, our lives are so busy sometimes just getting dinner onto the table can be considered a win, other times you spend extra time preparing and cooking a delicious family meal, and then….....it doesn’t quite go to plan.
The teenager won’t come out of their room, the toddler won’t even look at the meal you made, someone is running late for dinner, one-word answers to every question you ask and all you really want is to connect, laugh and share with your family for 20 minutes! ……Sound familiar?
Let’s face it, during lockdown we all let our normal routines slip, more time on tech, going to bed later than usual, more treats and rewards, perhaps dinners in front of the TV or screens slipped into the mix too.
Firstly, let me start by saying that lock down and home schooling were extremely challenging times, it wasn’t a “normal” situation and so we all in some way shape or form dropped some of our routines that normally aren’t negotiable. In our house, I did whatever I needed to do to keep my family happy, safe and smiling. The issue is now, how do you reel some of these things back?
I think of all the things that may have slipped, sitting down to dinner together is the one thing that can make the greatest difference to your family.
If you’re finding mealtimes unrewarding with your teen or having glimpses of teen-like behaviour from your tween, my advice is to persist past the eye rolls, one-word answers and grunts because there is a long list of benefits associated to family mealtimes. Proven benefits such as increased self-esteem and resilience, as well as lower rates of teen pregnancy, substance abuse and eating disorders, just to name a few that are evidenced by teens that regularly connect over dinner with their families. Listed below are 10 ideas that will help to entice family mealtimes with teens:
After weeks of lockdown, my kids have started to lose interest in “the family walk”. I totally understand, they are used to doing organised sports with friends, which is usually a great mix of games and a side serve of exercise, and well, kids don’t tend to appreciate the scenery and serenity of a walk like us “old people” (so I’ve been told – thanks kids! 😂 😂 ).
So, I decided to “re-brand” the family walk, because I couldn't take another day of the kids complaining before we had even left the driveway! 😩
