The One Right Way – Not!
January 28, 2008
I'm guessing that, early on in the parenting experience, you had the same realization that I did: No one has all the answers. A large part of it is made up as we go.
So there is no need to worry about whether or not you are doing family meals the "right" way. Although I would make a plea for turning off the tv and sitting so that we face each other, meals are as varied as the families that eat them. Some families like jokes, some are rowdy, some talk politics, some sing songs.
If you respect one another, enjoy each other, expect age-appropriate behavior, encourage everyone to take part, serve something that is, as my grandmother used to say, delicious and nutritious, you will be doing your best. Which will be good enough.
Perfection exists only in memory. Worrying about it is a barrier to enjoying each day. Tonight, a kid will knock over a full glass, a main course will be burnt, someone will be in a bad mood. But families will be together, and that will make it fine.
Mealtimes Matter Video
from Miriam Weinstein
About Miriam
Miriam Weinstein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a journalist, she has won several awards from the New England Press Association. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe magazine, Hope, and ParentSource. A former staff member for North Shore Weeklies and freelancer for Essex County Newspapers, she writes restaurant reviews and food columns as well as features on a wide variety of subjects. She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her husband and has two grown children.
The Surprising Power of Family Meals
In her book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, Miriam Weinstein shows how this basic human institution helps nourish and strengthen our families today. You can buy this book from our friends at Smucker's® Online Store.
