A new thing my husband and I have started to do is slowing down dinner time. It used to be that we would rush to get done and rush to clean up. I realized that we do all that rushing for no reason, it's not like we have anything else to do in the evenings. So we have turned the tv off and while we eat we have a conversation! I know, I know...I have read all about this and always thought, "Well, duh..we talk." But we weren't really. It was more like "I need to run to the library when you come home for lunch tomorrow. Jamie don't throw your pineapple on the floor." To which he would say, "Ok, but I can't come home for lunch on Friday, Bob don't stand on your chair. Sit down!" "Mommy I want more milk." and all you can really hear is "munch munch munch" as we are scarfing our food down. Now, we hold a conversation about our day and what the boys did and what we read in the paper, etc. I take my time cleaning up and doing the dishes. It makes our evenings go sooo much better.

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Wendy~Self-proclaimed hippie momma to Bob and Jamie



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Dinner time takes about 45 min at our house. I think it's slow but not as slow as some other family members. I have an aunt and uncle on my side and BIL and family on dh's side who start dinner at about 8:30 pm and it goes to 10:30 or 11:00. with the kids! Lots of wine, cheese served in the end, lots of talking. It's nice. I suspect my BIL and family only do this when they have company but I know my aunt and uncle do it every night (I lived with them during some of my turbulent teen years and stayed with them after ds was born.) They live on a farm with not much else to do and are my simple living mentors.

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The time from 530-7 is the craziest at my house by far. I start cooking at 530, dh gets home at 6, we eat. I scarf my food down so i can load the dishwasher, clean up ds and the table. Then, bath and the bedtime routine. I wish I could start earlier but I really want to eat as a family, plus my son will fall apart if he isnt in bed at 7. Ugh.

Sitting at the table is a waste of outdoor time to us! Just our preference. We'd rather eat quickly and go ride our bikes, play in the yard, go for a hike, take a late day ski ride (hopefully soon!). My girls are on an early schedule so they usually have eaten before Daddy gets home. I used to try to make them wait for Daddy but he is late so often, I gave up. He'd rather much something quickly and join us outside when he gets home. When we are all home together, dinner is at 4:30 and is definitely over by 5 at the latest.

only on mondays as the last of the kids leave at 530pm and ds has to eat and be at karate for 6pm..so we often eat in front of the other kids( they are in the living room)..the rest of the week is laid back.

The only day that dinner is rushed is Wednesday because we have to walk out the door the minute dh steps inside. I hand him his dinner, he eats on our way to Church.

Any other day we all gather around the table, form a circle holding hands, say our family dinner prayer and then we eat. We all hold a conversation. But our dd's our littles and tend to get too distracted when we strike up too much conversation with them. My girls will begin singing, forget to eat their dinner ect. .. ect. ..

However it's not a rushed event. We take our time as a family at the dinner table. I'd like to start Hi-Lo at our dinner table though.

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Happily married to my geek
Proud homeschooling, cloth diaperin, attached parenting, slinging, simplier, breastfeedin, sewing mama mades, christian and funky mama



www.myspace.com/funkyfate

We do "rose, bud, thorn". A rose is the best part of your day, a bud is something you are looking forward to doing in the near future, and a thorn is something you didn't like about your day. The kids love it!

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that is a really great idea ( rose , bud, thorn! )

Somedays are a rush for us, as mon wed and friday dd gets home from school at 5:30, so those nights I tend to have something in the crock pot or in the oven...

It is so hard with little ones, but we try to make it a point to talk about dd's day, and slow down a bit. But with a baby who is fussy at night, sometimes I give myself heartburn shoveling my food down!

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Mommy to a banana ( almost 4 ) and a pineapple ( 8 months ), married to a crazy Brit

I Like The Idea Of Rose Bud, Thorn Too!

That Sounds Like Something i Would do On a Car Ride! That Is about the Calmest I Can Get My Kids.

Dinner Time - No Way
I have always had a No Tv rule , But other Than That , It is Very Very Stressed.
Actually I Rarely even Sit Down.

We also hardley ever eat together.
My Older Son , Wants to eat fast and either Watch A TV show Or Go Back Outside With his Friends, My 4 Yr. old wants To Sit On My Dh's Lap The Whole Time, He will Not eat , He Just wants Daddy.
After we are away From the Table and in the Family Room , The Stress lifts and We are Happier.