Creative Planning Makes Family Meals Happen:
- Plan ahead. Plan out the week’s meals in advance and do much of the cooking over the weekend.
- Cook and freeze. Roast a chicken, make a meat loaf, cook a pasta sauce, and freeze dinner-sized portions.
- Invite your teen’s friends. This can keep your kids interested in dining with you and help you get to know your children’s friends better. (Of course, your kids have to go to their friends’ houses too!)
- Make it a communal meal. Ask your children to start the water for pasta, put a casserole in the oven, or even create menu ideas on evenings when you’re running late.
- Make it simple—get take out! Don’t feel guilty about ordering out from time to time if it means you can all sit down together to eat.
Soup’s STILL On! How to Fix Those Emergencies:
| Emergency | Quick Fix |
| You or your spouse need to work late. | Go ahead with the rest of the dinner and let the absent party call in during a 5-minute break. |
| An extra soccer match is scheduled. | Pack a picnic dinner and eat together after the game. |
| Your kids get home at different times from sports practice and play rehearsal. | Serve a snack early to those who are home first and have a later, light dinner when everyone makes it home. |
| No one had time to shop, and you forgot to thaw the meatloaf. | Scramble some eggs or make pancakes and bacon, and serve breakfast for dinner. |
gigi gaggero, San Mateo, CA 12/05/07
What about breakfast together -- the meal doesn't necessarily have to be after five PM.
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