Sarah's blog: Dinner

This weekend we all sat down together at the dining table to eat supper! For most families that may be commonplace, but when both parents work and weekends are filled with numerous activities, it is actually a very rare occurrence for us.

So here is how the event took place:

1. Time

Finding the time between all the kids' homework and activities was a challenge in itself.

2. Making space

Three kids tend to turn the house upside down the moment your back is turned, so clearing the piles of books, toys, Lego, stationery from the table took time and effort.

3. Persuasion

This was the tough part. Our kids were pretty suspicious and seemed to view this form of event as some sort of punishment. They took some persuading that we simply wanted a family meal to spend time together.

4. The youngest child

So we had established that we were eating at the table together, and the food was served, but our three year old was not having any of this. It was far too quiet and sedate for her. Encouraging her to stay at the table took a little more invention, but the games did it....

5. Games

A tactic we first devised in restaurants - 20 questions, I spy, story-telling, imagination cards and quizzes.

In the end it was a lovely family mealtime, and I wholly recommend similar to all the families out there that (like us) have always struggled to find the time to achieve this.

It was important for so many reasons:

1. We got to sit down! It is much more pleasant to eat while sitting still, rather than while running around doing chores etc

2. We got to talk.... With each other! We discussed the kids, school, the problems of the world, what is making the children happy or sad etc. 

3. The kids were more adventurous with their food since we were all eating the same thing (however this is definitely a work in progress!!)

4. Through the games we got to enjoy the amazing imagination of our children and their views of the world. 

So whilst it is hard to do, plus I am ashamed to be admitting to everyone that this type of event really is such a rare occurrence for us, we are going to diarise a family mealtime every week. In reality we will never manage it on weekdays, but spending time together during weekends is essential and invaluable and I am already looking forward to the next one this weekend....

Sarah is a specialist high yield bond trader at a large asset manager. She is married with 3 children