As a busy mom, you are always looking for ways to create a more enjoyable and less stressful mealtime with your family. There are some days when you feel like dinner time consists of never ending noise and chaos as you try and coax your little ones into sitting in their seats. Whether you’re catering to fussy eaters at home, or you’re trying to pry away phones from teenagers at the dinner table, here are a handful of ways in which you can make family mealtimes more enjoyable.
Try New and Delicious Recipes
Mealtimes may start to get mundane and boring if you don’t switch up your recipes from time to time. Kids are always happy with what they know, but eventually they will start to get bored and want to expand their palettes. You may want to try this smoked prime rib recipe and see what your little ones think of this delicious option for dinner. You may also want to explore new flavors and textures in curries, pies and casseroles. Explore some ideas online and see how you can make dinner time fun again for your family.
Create a Dinner Time Routine
Dinner time routines aren’t always a go-to for every family, as many people have different schedules depending on the day. However, if you can settle down to eat dinner at the same time every evening, this will help to create a predictable schedule for your family. For example, if your children know that at 6 o’clock each evening they have to go and wash their hands and help set the table, this will help to make a calmer and more cohesive dinner time routine.
Create Healthy Desserts
When it comes to finishing off your meal, a delicious dessert is the only way to do it! If you’re trying to stick to a healthy, low-sugar diet you may want to explore healthy desserts that your kids can get involved with making too. From banana oat muffins to frozen yogurt and fruit bark, there are so many different options you can try.
Get the Kids Involved
If your kids tend to get impatient whilst waiting for their dinner, now is the time to get them involved in the cooking process. They can help you wash the salad, pour the dressing or even chop the vegetables if they’re old enough. Some children simply love to help their parents stir the sauce or pass you the wooden spoon. Encouraging your children to enjoy the process of cooking will make mealtimes much more enjoyable.
As you can see, there are a whole host of ways to reduce stress surrounding mealtimes, but one of the most important elements is you. If you raise your voice and feel stressed this is going to reflect onto your loved ones too. Keep a relaxed tone of voice, don’t sweat the small stuff and remain as calm as possible when dinner time creeps up. This will help to set the tone for your meal time, and create healthy habits for you and your family.
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