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.
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.

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.

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.

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.
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

Anyone else fail at family meals?