Where to Start....been too long....Family Dinners

New Policy in the Reed household...."Family Dinner" every Sunday at 6 p.m.  Everyone (but Keera, who doesn't have a phone) receives a reminder text on Saturday that family dinner will be at 6 p.m. on Sunday.  Every week someone new chooses the meal.  This started six weeks ago with my random choice of Chinese food.  Brendan did not show up....didn't get home on time and Keera left family dinner almost as soon as it started because people were talking over her and she was mad/hurt.  While I get that, I also think she is used to being the only one with me and/or Bob, so she usually has the center stage.  Connor shortly after, so it was decided that Katie would have the next week's choice of meal.  Then Connor, then Keera, then Brendan and somehow Bob ended up last.  It is a bit of a work session for us because not everyone likes the same thing, but for this one day a week, I don't mind cooking two lasagnas - one with meat and one for the vegetarians (me and Katie). 

Here is the result since then:

1.  Everyone comes to family dinner (and we always have to have a home made portion for Brendan because he said his definition of a family dinner is something homemade.  For his week, he chose Bob making his homemade, from scratch, meatballs, sauce and spaghetti.

2.  Everyone tends to gather more often around the island in our kitchen, even when it isn't family dinner.  For me, that is the best outcome every.

3.  I have discovered that if you serve food and send out the expectation/reminder to be there - they will come.

4.  In a short six weeks, this has become a "tradition", a family "must", a part of our lives and what a good part it is.

5.  Start small with one family dinner and open up the path for so many more things together, as time goes on.

Definitely one of our better ideas!!!! And this week is my choice again.

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