Family Meals? Are You Kidding Me?

Faith Formation families are taking part in a month long Family Meal Challenge.  We are encouraging them to find time to eat ONE meal each week with all members of their house present. 

When I received the Faith Formation Family Meal Challenge, I thought there is no way I could fit this in my crazy schedule!   Even on the rare occasion my family is in the same place at dinner time, we are definitely running off to an activity or sport’s practice grabbing something as we run out the door.  But then I watched a YouTube video from BigThink.com called “ The Secrets of Family Dinner, with Bruce Feiler” that changed my whole idea of what “meal” means.  Lightbulb moment, breakfast is a meal!

I asked my family to wake up 10 minutes earlier than they were and I forced myself to get up about 30 minutes earlier.  And let me tell you, it has been worth it!!  Not only do we all get a healthy start to the day by eating breakfast, but we no longer have the fight of getting up, getting in the shower, getting clothes on, getting shoes on, hurry up we are going to be late, hurry up we are already late, etc.  My kids have been requesting various simple foods and they have been waking up to the smell of the food without me even having to go into their rooms to get them.  We talk about what everyone is excited for that day and I actually find out more about what they are up to then when I used to ask how their day was….”fine.”  I honestly went into the challenge thinking there was no way it would change my family dynamic, but I felt called to try and it worked wonders in my family!