Dear Brenna,
I can't seem to break out of this cycle: at 4 p.m. I look at the clock and panic, realizing I haven't thought about dinner plans. I stare blankly into the refrigerator and pantry, thinking I really should make something healthy. Most of the time I give in to making hotdogs and macaroni and cheese or heating up chicken nuggets, just because it is easy and I know I won't have to bear the complaints of my children. Or, worse yet, I break the budget on fast food pickups on the way home from soccer practice. My children, ages 3,5, and 7, and husband usually sit on the sofa and watch television as they eat. I often do not even sit down! Can you help me?
Shelly
Dear Shelly,
I understand how you feel. And so do many others. I’ve heard that 80% of families don't know at 4 p.m. what they are preparing for dinner. I struggled with this for years, until I realized ten minutes of planning every two weeks and an intentional trip to the grocery store could give me a whole new attitude.
I used to think I hated cooking, but what I hated was that feeling of not being prepared. I'm still not crazy about cooking, but my motivation skyrockets when I calculate the cost for a similar meal at a restaurant for our family of seven: I'm saving seventy dollars in only 45 minutes!
Every two weeks make a list of 10-12 days' meals, knowing a few of those nights might be leftover nights. After a trip to the grocery store, you can have look 4 p.m. in the eye with confidence each day.
In order to be most intentional with your dinner time, turn the television off, gather the whole family at the table and use that time as a way for your family members to connect with each other.
When you do these things, I think you will actually start looking forward to the dinner hour!
Brenna
