The Kitchen Table.
In our family home the most important piece of furniture we own is our kitchen table. The cost of the table is immaterial. The kitchen is the magical part of our house where we sit together, share good food, laugh, weep, argue and put the world to rights. We are a modern blended family and live in different corners of this world yet a video call to the absent can bring them closer. In lockdown it gave us a place to gather and became a focal point for the family when we couldn’t go outside.
Here in our house, food is not only sustenance but is also symbolic. Whoever is in the house gathers daily to share food and share news. It can be a simple sandwich, nothing fancy is needed. Children lead such busy lives, and most teenagers want privacy. However, half an hour around the table is usually enough time for a parent to realise if all is not ok in their world.
Indoor Picnics.
Once every couple of weeks we will throw a blanket on the floor and have an indoor picnic, a table is not needed. We just need the opportunity to be able to look each other in the eye. This is how we tend to eat our favourite Syrian takeaway. Eating side by side watching a movie may be fun but it can limit connection.
Do you have a place in your home where you can eat with your child?
Sharing food when your children are staying over.
If your child doesn’t live with you full time, it is especially important to feel connected with the limited time you have. Preparing food together can be a wonderful way of sharing a common goal. Choosing recipes, buying ingredients, cooking, eating and washing up can be a great way to spend time together. A takeaway meal is great too but home cooked food can be healthier and better for your wallet.
Can you cook?
Cooking is a great life skill and not everyone is taught from an early age how to cook. It may be that providing homemade meals is alien to you. Home cooked food is great but if your child is coming to stay, spending time eating together is just as important as what is on the plate. It shouldn’t be a stressful situation. It doesn’t really matter if the food is prepared from scratch, a food kit or a takeaway. The internet has plenty of child friendly recipes both easy to follow and easy on the palate. There are also plenty of ‘how to’ online videos taking you on a visual step by step cooking journey.
A discerning palate.
Food taste is both personal and divisive. If your child has limited time at your home, you may not want to fight and argue over food. Vegetables can become a battlefield that leave everyone scarred. How are you going to deal with your child’s likes and dislikes? Do you believe that a child should only eat what they enjoy or are you a ‘finish’ what’s on your plate type of person? These are personal decisions to make. Is it really necessary to provide a nutritious meal at every sitting or is it ok to have the occasional junk food meal?
It is important to know if your child has any dietary requirements or allergies and it is helpful to know where the local paediatric accident and emergency is too!
Do you need further help? Get in contact.
