Everything I know about how to raise Aliza I learned from my parents.....One of the things that we have been doing with her, that I grew up doing was having family meals. I remember, before her arrival, I told Russ that we would have to stop eating dinner in front of the T.V. (as was our custom) and start actually eating at the table when Aliza was around. He agreed immediately because even then we loved the idea of family meals around the table.
Now that we are actually doing it, it is even better than we imagined.....Aliza takes awhile to eat (she feeds herself after all) so she is often sitting in her high chair while I am finishing up dinner. I talk to her while I cook and tell her everything I'm doing. Sometimes she talks back to me, sometimes she just focuses on her eating. Usually she reaches a point where she is ready for some company and, if I've timed things well, it is about the time that we are ready to eat with her. Interestingly, she always eats more when we are sitting down eating with her. She also talks more. I like to ask her about her day and share with her the things I know she did. Russ and I talk too, to each other I mean.....
This time is becoming so special to me. In fact, I find myself turning into my dad; he would always grumble a little when the phone rang in the middle of dinner, and sometimes even refuse to answer it saying, "It's dinner time, who is calling at this hour?" Now, if we are eating and the phone rings, I often tell Russ not to answer it (although he usually does anyways) and the other day I caught myself saying, "it's dinner, who is calling?" I laughed to myself.....because I get it now.
3 comments:
That's great - I get that exactly. When I'm alone, it's so easy to eat in front of the TV or with a book. Sunday night is movie night, when the three of us eat together in the den, watching TV. Every other night, though, we eat at the table. You're right - it's so enjoyable. It's what our family did when I was a child and I like the way the tradition continues.
That is so awesome, Lisa! We do that too, just the two of us. Now that Scott is around sometimes, it makes a nice little family dinner.
Our big thing is to tell what our favorite part of the day is. Jackson also knows that when I sit down, it is time for prayers. We will work on getting him to not eat until we sit down, and he is getting better, but it does take him forever to eat.
I too grumble about people calling during dinner. Won't answer the phone either!
Keep up the great work!
Family dinners are so important.
Even as a kid I hated when the phone would ring during dinner b/c I felt like the caller was taking MY Mom and Dad away from me.
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