https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 10 May 2026 19:04:25 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/my-solution-to-not-being-organized-enough-to-do-family-dinners#post-1897212 Fri, 10 Oct 2014 17:14:50 +0000 lizzywiz 1897212@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Rainbow Sprinkles: that sounds awesome, but I can't figure out how to cook a nice meal while my toddler runs around trying to harm herself in new and exciting ways. And you have two...I salute you, madame! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/my-solution-to-not-being-organized-enough-to-do-family-dinners#post-1897208 Fri, 10 Oct 2014 17:10:08 +0000 mrs. tictactoe 1897208@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That's what we used to do up until about a year ago, when we pushed Liam's bedtime back a bit. Now, sometimes we eat all together and sometimes, if my husband is late, Liam and I eat together and my husband heats up leftovers later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/my-solution-to-not-being-organized-enough-to-do-family-dinners#post-1897201 Fri, 10 Oct 2014 17:01:18 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 1897201@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husbaND isn't home until 11:00 pm, so I eat dinner with my 2.5 year old and 10 month old. They eat what I eat, and usually I make a nice meal and then my DH takes the leftovers with him to work the next day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/my-solution-to-not-being-organized-enough-to-do-family-dinners#post-1897184 Fri, 10 Oct 2014 16:32:24 +0000 Mrs. Tiger 1897184@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nice! We are often in that schedule too, although instead of cooking I'm sitting with DS1 while I feed DS2 in the high chair, and then I eat when DH gets home after bedtime. </p> <p>Someday we'll all eat together! I wouldn't call this failing ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/my-solution-to-not-being-organized-enough-to-do-family-dinners#post-1897173 Fri, 10 Oct 2014 16:22:25 +0000 Mommy Finger 1897173@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We definitely eat after DS goes to bed. It's the only way I'll actually be able to eat and enjoy it. I still will do a little meal planning but it's not for the whole family. Unless I just heated up leftovers every day, there's no way we can all eat as a family right now since DS tends to want to eat within 10 minutes of getting home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/my-solution-to-not-being-organized-enough-to-do-family-dinners#post-1897143 Fri, 10 Oct 2014 15:58:41 +0000 LomaLinda 1897143@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep! My LO eats around 5:30 and my hubby is no where near ready to eat that early. So I pull his high chair up to the island and feed him while I cook dinner for myself and my hubby. It's ready for us to eat as soon as LO is bathed and in bed. I, too, just figure that family meals are sometime in the future. For now this works. And isn't it nice to eat an unrushed meal after LO is in bed?? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/my-solution-to-not-being-organized-enough-to-do-family-dinners#post-1897121 Fri, 10 Oct 2014 15:49:21 +0000 blackbird 1897121@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nice! Hey, you gotta find what works for you. We are all a strictly 5:30pm dinner kind of family. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/my-solution-to-not-being-organized-enough-to-do-family-dinners#post-1897116 Fri, 10 Oct 2014 15:44:35 +0000 lizzywiz 1897116@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I find myself with a toddler, with all the toddler eating proclivities, that really needs to eat by 6pm, a husband who will eat anything but 6pm is the very earliest he could possibly get home and that is rare, and me, who feels that my evening meal is my reward for my day. Doesn't have to be bad for me but does have to be delicious and un-rushed.<br /> I tried meal planning. Turns out, I suck at meal planning. Oh, I've joined meal plan programs. I *technically* know how to plan a grocery list, go to the store and cook food. I just can't seem to get that shite done every week in a timely way that would enable us to have food (that I actually want to eat) on the table at 6pm every night. Getting home from work, toddler wrangling and basic survival wipe the Martha Stewart right out of me. I tried this for a month and I was so harried between 5-7 pm that I hated my life.</p> <p>I tried eating with her before DH got home. Those were some sad meals. She is not a great conversationalist and does not like garlic or red chile (blaspheme!) I ate a lot of pasta, peas and avocado in this time.</p> <p>We tried eating after she went to bed. That worked, except is there anything sadder than a toddler alone at the table? I sat with her frequently, but she knew I wasn't committed. She kept asking me where my food was.</p> <p>And now we have hit the sweet spot. For the past month, at 6pm, I make the plain fare she prefers and serve her in the kitchen where she eats and watches me cook. She asks about what I am doing, which has really improved the conversation, and hey, at least we are both handling food at the same time, right? And because she is in her high chair she is contained and I am not totally overwhelmed trying to keep track of her and my disorganized cooking. DH and I eat a leisurely meal at 8pm, right after we put her down.<br /> It is not the family meals I had planned, but we are all happy and healthy and I am still hopeful that family meals are in our future. Just not tonight. Tonight I have a hot date with DH for pizza and wine and Netflix at 8pm :wink: </p> <p>Anyone else fail at family meals? </p>